CN114532845A

CN114532845A - System and method for controlled liquid food or beverage product production

Info

Publication number: CN114532845A
Application number: CN202210193840.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 马修·P·罗伯茨; 保罗·卡列尼安; 道格拉斯·M·胡恩; 卡尔·温克勒
Original assignee: Cometier Co ltd
Current assignee: Cometier Co ltd
Priority date: 2016-04-14
Filing date: 2017-04-12
Publication date: 2022-05-27
Also published as: KR20180133488A; KR102439390B1; KR102358281B1; AU2017250188A1; JP2021121321A; SG11201808980UA; CN109310233A; DK3442381T3; KR20220018089A; CA3020855A1; JP2019517899A; EP3960043A1; JP7110442B2; MX2018012521A; EP3442381A1; EP3960043B1; CN109310233B; WO2017180710A1; EP3442381B1; JP6876786B2

Abstract

A system for controlled heating and/or agitation to produce a liquid food or beverage product is disclosed. A dispenser (400) for producing a food or beverage liquid product from frozen contents (120) in a receptacle (110, 1700), comprising: a chamber configured to hold a receptacle containing contents; and a dilution liquid inlet configured to supply dilution liquid to an interior of the receiver. The dispenser further comprises a perforator (1720) configured to perforate the receptacle (1700) and form a product outlet for the liquid product from the receptacle, and an agitator configured to impart a motion to the receptacle (110, 1700) and/or the contents of the receptacle that, when supplied with the diluting liquid, increases the flow path from the liquid inlet to the product outlet followed by at least a portion of the diluting liquid relative to the flow path from the liquid inlet to the product outlet followed by the portion of the diluting liquid without the imparted motion.

Description

System and method for controlled liquid food or beverage product production

The present application is a divisional application of the chinese patent application having a filing date of 2017, 12/4, a national application number of 201780036465.4(PCT application number of PCT/US2017/027149), entitled "system and method for controlled liquid food or beverage product production".

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application relates to and claims 35U.S. C.C.120 U.S. patent application No.15/351,911 entitled "Methods of Controlled Heating and Activity for Liquid Food or Product production" filed on 2016 month 11 and 15 and priority of U.S. patent application No.15/352,245 entitled "Systems for Controlled Heating and activity for Liquid Food or Product production" filed on 2016 month 11 and 15, each of which is a continuation of U.S. patent application No.15/347,591 entitled "Systems for and Methods of Controlled Liquid Food Product production" filed on 9 month 11 and 9, U.S. patent application No.15/347,591 filed on 35 U.S.C.C.C.C. claim for "Methods of controlling Food Product production" filed on 6 month 6 and priority of U.S. patent application No.15/347,591 filed on 2016 U.S.C.C.C.C.C.C.S. patent application No. for "method of controlling Food production and method for" filed on 2016 month 6 and priority of U.S. patent application No. 2016 A.S. patent application No. 32 filing U.S. provisional patent application No.62/380,170 to Creating Liquid Food and Beverage Product from a port-Controlled recovery, and U.S. patent application No.15/347,591 is a continuation-in-part application entitled "Systems for and Methods of activation in the Production of Food and Beverage recovery from F content" filed on 9/14 2016, and claiming priority from U.S. patent application No.15/265,379 according to 35U.S. C. § 120, U.S. patent application No.15/265,379 is a continuation-in-part application entitled "Systems for and Methods of rendering in the recovery of documents" filed on 17.6/2016, U.S. patent application No. 4832 to continue-in-system for and Methods of rendering in the recovery of U.S. patent application No.15/185,744 to 2016 (filed on 17.6/6.S. 29), and U.S. patent application No. 3676 to claim 35U.S. C. (2016.S. 5) Providing Support for displayable Material in coverage and Food Receptives "and said U.S. patent application No.15/185,744 is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application No.15/099,156 entitled" Method of and System for Creating a configurable Liquid Food Product from Food Liquid contacts ", filed 4/14 2016, and claiming priority of that U.S. patent application No.15/099,156 in accordance with 35U.S. C. 120.

Technical Field

The technical field relates generally to systems and methods for producing liquid food and/or beverage products from frozen contents in a controlled manner, and more particularly to systems and methods for controlling the melting of frozen contents into a liquid and the evaporation of the liquid into a gas. The technical field also relates generally to systems and methods that provide support for displaceable frozen contents in beverage and food receptacles and in particular a platform that supports the frozen contents within the receptacle to assist in displacing the frozen contents from a first position within the receptacle to a second position within the receptacle. The technical field also relates generally to systems and methods that provide support for displaceable frozen contents in beverage and food receptacles and, in particular, a platform that supports frozen contents within the receptacle to assist in displacing frozen contents from a first position within the receptacle to a second position within the receptacle. The technical field also relates generally to methods and systems for producing consumable liquid food or beverage products from frozen contents and, in particular, frozen liquid packaged in a receptacle, wherein the receptacle is designed to be received by a machine-based dispensing system to facilitate melting and/or diluting the frozen liquid contents and producing instantly consumable food or beverage from the frozen liquid contents. The frozen liquid content may be derived from food or beverage concentrates, extracts, and/or other consumable fluids with or without nutrients.

Background

Current or existing machine-based coffee brewing systems (coffee brewing systems) and coffee packaged in filter cartridges allow consumers to make purportedly freshly brewed beverages by touching buttons without the need for additional process steps such as metering, filter processing, and/or messy disposal of used coffee grounds. These machine-based systems typically utilize a receptacle (receptacle) that contains dry solids or powders (such as dry coffee grinds, tea leaves, or cocoa), and a filter medium that prevents unwanted solids from moving into the user's cup or glass, as well as some type of cover or lid. The receptacle itself is typically thin-walled so that it can be perforated with a needle or other mechanism so that solvent (e.g., hot water) can be injected into the receptacle. In practice, the receptacle is inserted into the machine and, when closing the cover of the machine, the receptacle is pierced to create the inlet and the outlet. The hot solvent is then delivered to the inlet, added to the receptacle, and the brewed beverage exits through the filter to the outlet.

Such systems often encounter problems in being able to maintain freshness of the contents in the receptacle, brewing strength from limited size packages, and/or the inability to conveniently recover the large number of filter receptacles with used grounds/leaves that are produced each year.

For example, when the dry solid is finely ground coffee, the problem of keeping fresh occurs. The problem is largely caused by the undesirable oxidation of key aroma and flavor compounds in the coffee grounds, which is exacerbated by the fact that ground coffee presents a very large surface area to its surroundings. While some manufacturers may attempt to solve this problem using a MAP (modified atmosphere packaging) approach (e.g., introducing a non-oxidizing gas in place of ambient air), their efforts have generally been largely unsuccessful for a number of reasons. For example, freshly roasted whole bean coffee or ground coffee is largely carbon dioxide-depleted and therefore a pre-packaging step is required to allow the coffee grounds to "de-gas" prior to packaging so that the receptacle does not swell or splay outwards due to the pressure generated within the receptacle (which can give the receptacle the appearance of a spoiled product). In addition, the carbon dioxide off-gas carries with it and depletes the strong fresh coffee aroma from the ground coffee. Furthermore, the composition of coffee beans and ground matter has an oxygen content of about 44%, which may inherently affect the flavor and aroma of the coffee after the roasting process.

Another disadvantage of these recipients containing dry solids or powders is generally their inability to produce a variety of beverage potencies and servings from a given package size. A cartridge holding 10 grams of ground coffee can only produce about 2 grams of actual brewed coffee compounds if brewed according to SCAA (american special coffee association) brewing guidelines. Further, when 2 grams of the brewed coffee compound were diluted in a 10 ounce coffee cup, a Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) concentration of about 0.75 was produced. TDS (always expressed in%) is a measure of the combined content of inorganic and organic substances in the form of molecular, ionized or particulate colloidal particles suspended in a liquid. Therefore, for many consumers, a cup of such coffee is generally considered to be a very weak cup of coffee. Conversely, some brewers may over-extract the same 10 grams of coffee grounds to produce a higher TDS; however, the extracted additional dissolved solids are often pungent in taste and can ruin the flavor integrity of the coffee. Soluble/instant coffee is often added to reduce this disadvantage. In addition, most brewers designed for extraction do not provide the pressure and temperature to remove all of the desired compounds from the ground product, thus wasting typically up to 25% of the good coffee and often producing a cup of lighter or smaller coffee than desired.

Turning to the problem of recycling, the presence of residual coffee grounds, tea leaves and/or other residual waste (e.g., used filters left in the receptacle) after brewing often makes the receptacle unsuitable for recycling. The consumer can remove the cover from the used receptacle and rinse away the remaining material, but this is time consuming, messy, wasteful of water, and/or wasteful of valuable soil nutrients that could be recycled into the agroecological system. Therefore, most consumers do not take the trouble of recycling in exchange for such an ecological benefit that is not significantly visible. Recycling can also be affected by the type of thermoplastic material used in certain receivers. For example, to minimize freshness loss as discussed above, some manufacturers have chosen to use materials with excellent vapor barrier properties, such as a laminate film material with an inner layer of ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) copolymer. The combination of different thermoplastic materials in such a laminated film, which may be some combination of EVOH, polypropylene, polyethylene, PVC and/or other materials, is not suitable for recycling.

Despite the above drawbacks, there are still many different machine-based systems on the market today, which produce beverages from single-serving capsule products. These have become very popular with consumers primarily because of the convenience they provide to make an acceptable (not necessarily excellent) cup of coffee, which often allows consumers to change out the cafe quality brewed coffee for the convenience of a single serving home brew cup.

In addition to single serving capsule products, there are also frozen products such as coffee extracts and juice concentrates, which are currently packaged in large containers and cans (e.g., 2 liters) for producing multiple servings of beverage from a single container. However, the preparation of beverages from these frozen extracts or concentrates is often inconvenient and time consuming. For example, some coffee products must be slowly melted before use, often over a period of hours or days. The final product needs to be stored in a refrigerator in order to maintain its product safety later when less than all of the serving size is consumed. Furthermore, for hot drinks (such as coffee and tea), the melted extract must then be properly heated. Many of these products are not storage stable, for example coffee grinds contain a high proportion of solids, as these solids are the result of hydrolyzed wood, which readily decomposes and spoils. Accordingly, even at refrigerated temperatures, the flavor and quality of these bulk frozen products can deteriorate within hours. Furthermore, the process of forming the final consumable beverage is typically not automated and is therefore prone to over-dilution or under-dilution, resulting in an inconsistent user experience.

Disclosure of Invention

The techniques and systems described herein include an integrated system that allows for the dispensing of a wider variety of food and beverage products than known partially controlled brewing systems currently available. In certain embodiments, the system includes a multi-purpose and multi-purpose dispenser that works in conjunction with a multi-content freezing receiver. The receiver contained pre-prepared concentrate and extract in a frozen state in a sealed MAP gas environment. Because the foods or beverages contained therein remain in a preserved state, they are present in an FDA food safe form. In addition, the frozen liquid contents are preserved at peak levels of flavor and aroma without the use of conventional preservatives or additives.

On the other hand, the dispenser can prepare these foods and beverages in hot or cold form by using a special receptacle containing frozen liquid contents. An integrated system comprising a dispenser and a receptacle can safely provide, for example, coffee, tea, cocoa, soda, soup, nutraceuticals, vitamin water, pharmaceuticals, energy supplements, latte, cappuccino, indian tea latte, to name a few. The receptacle is flushed substantially clean by the dispensing system to remove slag, leaves, filter dust or crystals as the product is dispensed, thereby rendering them acceptable for recycling.

As mentioned above, the techniques and systems described herein improve the overall quality and taste of coffee, tea, and other beverages that are conveniently available to consumers in their homes, and in certain embodiments, without the need to brew coffee, tea, and other beverages. Embodiments of the packaging systems and dispensers described herein effectively and efficiently process frozen liquid contents. For example, embodiments presented herein address how to disengage frozen liquid content from the inner surface of the receptacle or how to perforate the receptacle, how to create a flow path to an exit point in the receptacle, how to effectively melt the frozen liquid content without creating unacceptable internal pressure or spray, how to obtain a final beverage at a desired temperature and concentration, and/or how to best prepare the receptacle for recovery.

The disclosed subject matter includes various embodiments of a receiver configured for insertion into a dispenser. Each receiver includes chilled liquid content and has a headspace. The receptacle comprises an opening and a cavity for receiving and storing frozen liquid content, wherein the receptacle is perforable. The receptacle includes a closure formed over an opening of the receptacle for sealing the frozen liquid content within the cavity of the receptacle, wherein the receptacle is configured for insertion into a dispensing apparatus or system configured to produce a consumable liquid beverage from the frozen liquid content in the receptacle such that the frozen liquid content is extracted through a perforation produced in the receptacle by the apparatus.

In some examples, the receptacle includes a gas impermeable material configured to maintain freshness and aroma of the frozen liquid contents. The receptacle and closure may be constructed of recyclable materials such that once a consumable liquid food or beverage is produced, the receptacle and closure may be recycled. The receptacle may be constructed of an edible material so that the receptacle itself can be dissolved and consumed after use. The frozen liquid content contained within the receptacle may be selected from, for example, frozen coffee extract, frozen tea extract, frozen lemon water concentrate, frozen vegetable concentrate, frozen animal soup or stock, frozen liquid dairy product, frozen alcohol product, frozen syrup and frozen fruit concentrate, or any combination thereof. Because the contents are frozen liquids, and thus frozen liquid contents, the contents need only be melted into a liquid form of the consumable beverage or food. It does not need to be extracted and produce waste by-products, nor does it need a filter within the receiver.

In some examples, the receptacle is configured such that the receptacle can be perforated before insertion of the receptacle into the device, can be perforated after insertion of the receptacle into the device, or both. The receptacle may comprise an unfilled region, such as a headspace between the frozen liquid content and the closure, wherein the region is configured to comprise an inert or reducing reactive gas in place of the atmosphere in the receptacle. The region also allows the chilled liquid content to move within the receiver to allow a flow path to be created for the diluent/molten liquid to flow around the chilled liquid content during product preparation.

In some examples, the frozen liquid content and the receptacle are provided in a controlled partial arrangement. The controlled portion arrangement may comprise a single-dose sized form. The controlled portion arrangement may include a batch portion size format for producing multiple portions from a single or multiple injections of liquid.

In some examples, the packages, receptacles, containers, etc. are configured to receive heated liquid or other forms of heat through the perforations to accelerate liquefaction and dilution of the frozen liquid content. The package may be configured to receive externally applied heat prior to or concurrent with the introduction of the melting/diluting fluid to accelerate melting of the frozen liquid contents within the receptacle.

In some examples, the receptacle may include an end portion having a bi-stable or one-time deformable dome shape for facilitating perforation of the receptacle without interference from frozen liquid contents by movement into the headspace. The frozen liquid content may also be formed to include through holes in its body so that liquid injected into the container may flow through the through holes to the exit point of the receptacle.

The disclosed subject matter includes processes for producing a liquid food or beverage from a package containing frozen liquid contents. The process includes providing a frozen liquid content in a sealed container, wherein the container is configured to store the frozen liquid content. In this embodiment, the process always includes melting the frozen liquid content in the sealed container to produce a molten liquid. The process includes perforating a sealed container at a first location to allow molten liquid to be dispensed from the container to produce a consumable liquid food or beverage.

In some examples, melting the frozen liquid content includes perforating the sealed container at a second location to allow heated liquid or other forms of heat to be injected into the container to melt and dilute the frozen liquid content in the sealed container. Melting the frozen liquid contents may include applying heat or electrical frequency energy externally to or within the sealed container by injected liquid, gas or steam to melt the frozen liquid contents into a consumable liquid form.

The disclosed subject matter includes a packaging system for using a packaged frozen liquid content to produce a liquid food or beverage directly from the frozen liquid content. The system includes a chilled liquid content and a receiver defining a cavity for receiving and storing the chilled liquid content. The system further comprises a lid for forming a sealed enclosure with the receptacle, the lid being perforable to allow injection of a liquid, gas or vapour into the cavity to melt and dilute the frozen liquid content therein, wherein the receptacle is perforable to allow the melted and/or diluted frozen liquid content to be dispensed from the receptacle in the form of a consumable liquid beverage.

In addition to food and beverage packaging systems, the systems and techniques described herein include an apparatus for melting and/or diluting frozen liquid contents stored within the packaging system (where the frozen liquid contents of the package are made of food and beverage concentrates, extracts, and other consumable fluid types with or without nutrients), as well as various methods for delivering these melted and/or diluted contents for immediate consumption. For example, the techniques described herein allow a consumer to conveniently and spontaneously produce single or multiple servings of consumable beverages or liquid-based foods directly from a receptacle, such that the products have a desired fresh taste, potency, volume, temperature, texture, and the like. To achieve this goal, frozen liquid contents and preferably flash-frozen liquid contents made from concentrates, extracts and other consumable fluid types can be packaged in air-tight, MAP packages, full barrier and filter-free recyclable receptacles. Moreover, the receptacle is designed to be received and used by a machine-based dispensing system to facilitate melting and/or dilution of the contents and deliver a product having desired characteristics, including taste, aroma intensity, volume, temperature, color and texture, so that consumers can constantly and conveniently experience levels of excellent taste and freshness that are not available through any other means used today. Unlike current single-serve coffee makers that produce a final product through a brewing process (e.g., extracting a soluble product from solid coffee grounds), the disclosed solution produces a product by melting and diluting a frozen extract or concentrate produced by an earlier manufacturing process, which can be performed in a factory environment under ideal conditions to capture and preserve flavor.

In one aspect of the invention, a dispenser for producing a food or beverage liquid product from frozen contents in a receptacle includes a chamber configured to hold the receptacle and a non-diluting heater configured to heat at least one of the receptacle when the receptacle is held in the chamber and frozen contents within the receptacle when the receptacle is held in the chamber. The undiluted heater does not add liquid to the interior of the receptacle when the receptacle is held in the chamber. The dispenser further includes a reservoir configured to contain a liquid, wherein the reservoir includes a reservoir outlet configured to draw the liquid from the reservoir. The dispenser further comprises a product outlet configured to extract the food or beverage liquid product from the receptacle while the receptacle is held in the chamber; and a controller and computer readable memory comprising instructions that when executed by the controller cause the dispenser to selectively perform at least one of: heating at least one of the receptacle and the frozen contents within the receptacle using a non-diluting heater, and withdrawing liquid from the reservoir through the reservoir outlet.

In another aspect of the invention, a method of producing a molten food or beverage liquid product from a receptacle containing frozen liquid contents includes receiving the receptacle in a chamber of a dispenser. The receptacle defines an enclosed interior volume containing a frozen liquid content. The method also includes identifying a characteristic of at least one of the receiver and the frozen liquid content by selectively performing at least one of the following, and melting at least a portion of the frozen liquid content to generate a melted food or beverage liquid product: heating at least one of the receptacle when the receptacle is held in the chamber and the frozen liquid content within the receptacle when the receptacle is held in the chamber without adding liquid to the interior of the receptacle when the receptacle is held in the chamber; supplying a dilution liquid to the interior of the receptacle; and imparting motion to at least one of the receptacle and the frozen liquid content. Selectively performing at least one of heating, supplying dilution liquid, and applying motion is based on the identified characteristic. The method further includes piercing the receptacle and dispensing the melted food or beverage liquid product from the receptacle.

In yet another aspect of the invention, a method of producing a molten food or beverage liquid product from a receptacle containing frozen liquid contents includes receiving the receptacle in a dispenser. The receptacle defines an enclosed interior volume containing a frozen liquid content. The method also includes identifying a characteristic of at least one of the receiver and the frozen liquid content, and removing the frozen liquid content from the receiver into the chamber. The method further includes melting at least a portion of the frozen liquid content to generate a molten food or beverage liquid product by selectively performing at least one of: heating the frozen contents without combining a liquid with the frozen liquid contents; combining the dilution liquid with the frozen liquid contents; and imparting motion to the frozen liquid content. Selectively performing at least one of heating, combining dilution liquid, and applying motion is based on the identified characteristic. The method still further includes dispensing the molten food or beverage liquid product.

In yet another aspect of the invention, a dispenser for producing a food or beverage liquid product from frozen contents in a receptacle includes a chamber configured to hold the receptacle, the receptacle defining an enclosed interior volume containing frozen liquid contents; and a dilution liquid inlet configured to supply dilution liquid to the interior volume of the receptacle when the receptacle is held in the chamber. The dispenser further comprises a perforator configured to perforate the receptacle and form a product outlet for the food or beverage liquid product from the receptacle; and an agitator configured to impart motion to at least one of the receptacle and the frozen liquid content in the receptacle, the motion, when provided with the dilution liquid, increasing a flow path from the dilution liquid inlet to the product outlet followed by at least a portion of the dilution liquid relative to a flow path from the dilution liquid inlet to the product outlet followed by at least a portion of the dilution liquid without the imparted motion.

In one aspect of the invention, a dispenser for producing a food or beverage liquid product from frozen contents in a receptacle, the dispenser comprising: a chamber configured to hold a receptacle defining a closed interior volume containing frozen liquid contents; and a perforator configured to perforate the receptacle and to remove at least a portion of the frozen liquid content from the receptacle into the melting vessel. The dispenser further includes an agitator configured to impart motion to at least one of the melting vessel and frozen liquid contents in the melting vessel, and a non-diluting heater configured to heat at least one of the melting vessel and frozen contents in the melting vessel. The undiluted heater does not add liquid to the interior of the receiver when the receiver is held in the chamber. The dispenser further includes a product outlet configured to dispense a food or beverage liquid product.

These techniques include many combinations and permutations of packaging, method and apparatus features relating to the retention of frozen liquid contents, the structuring of frozen liquid contents in one or the other form, the melting and/or dilution of frozen liquid contents, and their ability to have desired characteristics as described above for consumption. In some embodiments, a sealed receptacle containing a frozen liquid content is inserted into a machine. The machine then perforates the sealed receptacle and injects heated liquid, gas or steam therein to melt and dilute the frozen liquid contents. The machine also perforates the receptacle to allow molten and/or diluted frozen liquid content to be dispensed from the receptacle into the secondary container in the form of a consumable liquid beverage. Other possible variations of each of these functions will be described in more detail below, including making cold or iced beverages using the negative energy of the frozen liquid content as a food or beverage coolant, rather than using a refrigeration process to remove heat from a supplied dilution liquid, gas or steam.

As set forth in more detail below, certain embodiments of the receptacle include a platform disposed between the frozen liquid content and the end layer. The platform is configured to contact the needles of the dispensing apparatus when the end layer is perforated by the needles such that it is displaced in a manner that creates a flow path from the inlet perforations to the outlet perforations. Thus, the frozen contents and the platform have a first position and a second position within the receptacle that can be replenished by space not occupied by frozen contents. Optionally, the end layer comprises a recess complementary to the shape of the platform, and the platform is disposed within the recess. In some embodiments, the depression in the end layer may be a deformable or collapsible (collapsible) dome. In some embodiments, the receptacle is tapered, and one or more perforators creating inlets and/or outlets in the receptacle may push the platform away from the end layer. The needle or perforator of the mobile platform may inject or dispense liquid into the receptacle, or both.

In some embodiments, the platform is a substantially flat disc or plate. In some embodiments, the platform is at least one of concave or convex with respect to the end layer. In some embodiments, the platform conforms to the structure of the end layer so as to reduce the space between the end layer and the platform. In some embodiments, the platform may be corrugated or textured, or may have protrusions into the interior of the receptacle. In some embodiments, the platform may be annular or comprised of a plurality of holes, each hole being smaller than a needle, such that its weight is significantly reduced without reducing its ability to assist in displacement of the frozen liquid contents. The platform may be made of any rigid or semi-rigid material that is or can be made suitable for contact with food, including, for example, plastic or metal, such as steel, stainless steel, or aluminum. Certain embodiments of the platform may include more than one material in its composition, for example, aluminum on each side and a suitable plastic covering along its edges. In one embodiment, the platform supplements the material of the receiver such that the receiver is single-flow recyclable. For example, the platform may be a different type of plastic than the plastic of the receptacle, while maintaining compatibility from a recycling standpoint. Further, the platform and receiver may be different metals or alloys that are compatible from a recovery standpoint or that are easily removable using standard mixed stream recycling operations. Additionally, plastic and metal platforms and receiver combinations are contemplated where the amount of plastic of one component is small enough so as not to compromise the ability to recycle the metal part. In addition to enhancing the food safety of the base material of the platform, the coating may also have properties that improve its release characteristics and/or help reduce the level of friction between the platform and the frozen contents, such as teflon or teflon-coated aluminum disks.

The platform may be adhered to the end layer of the receptacle or constrained in its motion so that it does not move during filling of the receptacle with liquid that is subsequently frozen. In this case, the perforation of the needle compresses or breaks the fixation or constraint point. The means of securing or restraining may include, for example, glue patches, continuous or intermittent heat sealing, spot welding, crimping, interference fit, and/or the like. In some embodiments, the platform is constrained in only one portion, such that the constraint acts as a hinge that allows the platform to pivot when contacted by the needle. Constraints may include a geometric fit between the platform and the receiver, which may be broken by pressure. For example, the sidewalls of the receptacle may include a smaller inverted or recessed feature that locks the platform in place because the diameter of the platform is slightly larger than the diameter of the receptacle based on the concave position. The receptacle and/or the platform may flex under pressure from a perforator or other pressure source and push at least a portion of the platform past the locking feature and away from the end layer. In yet another embodiment, the platform comprises an overflow tube. The overflow tube has at least one channel that allows flow to pass from a first side of the platform to a second side of the platform via the channel.

In one aspect of the invention, the receptacle includes a sidewall extending from a first end of the receptacle to a second end of the receptacle, an end layer disposed at the first end of the receptacle, and a closure disposed at the second end of the receptacle. The side walls, end layers and closure define a sealed cavity of the receptacle. The receptacle includes frozen contents disposed in a sealed cavity of the receptacle and a movable platform disposed in the sealed cavity of the receptacle and in contact with at least a portion of an adjacent end layer of the frozen contents.

In one aspect of the invention, a receiver comprises: a sidewall having a tapered portion that increases in size from a first end of the receiver to a second end of the receiver; and an end layer disposed at a first end of the receiver. The end layer is defined by a sheet without openings, and the side walls and the end layer define a cavity of the receptacle. The second end of the receiver defines an opening. The receptacle also includes a solid frozen liquid content disposed in the cavity of the receptacle and a pierceable closure formed over the receptacle opening sealing the receptacle. The solid frozen liquid content, at least a portion of the sidewall, and at least a portion of the pierceable closure define an empty space in the receptacle that is free of the solid frozen liquid content, and the receptacle is configured for insertion into a dispensing apparatus. The end layer of the receptacle may be perforated by a needle disposed within the dispensing apparatus. The solid frozen liquid content has a first location and a second location within the cavity. In the first position, the solid frozen liquid content conforms to substantially the entire end layer of the receiver. In the second position, the solid frozen liquid content is displaced away from the end layer of the receptacle and into the empty space, and at least a portion of the empty space remains unoccupied by the solid frozen liquid content.

In one embodiment, the receptacle comprises a gas impermeable material configured to maintain freshness and aroma of the solid frozen liquid contents.

In another embodiment, the receptacle and the closure each comprise recyclable materials such that the receptacle and the closure can be recycled.

In yet another embodiment, the receiver is filterless.

In yet another embodiment, the receiver comprises aluminum.

In one embodiment, the sidewall, end layer, and pierceable closure define a single chamber.

In another aspect of the invention, a method of producing a molten liquid product from a receiver containing a frozen liquid content includes providing a receiver containing a frozen liquid content. The receiver has an end layer disposed at one end of the receiver, and the frozen liquid content is in contact with substantially the entire end layer of the receiver. The frozen liquid content and the receptacle define a void area within the receptacle free of the frozen liquid content. The method also includes disposing a receptacle containing frozen liquid content in the chamber of the dispenser, perforating an end layer of the receptacle with a first needle, and detaching the frozen liquid content from the end layer and displacing the frozen liquid content into the void region. The method further includes causing the dispenser to melt the frozen liquid content in the receiver to produce a molten liquid product and capturing the molten liquid product from the receiver.

In one embodiment, the method further comprises perforating the receptacle at least one location different from the perforations of the end layer.

In yet another embodiment, the receiver is filterless.

In another embodiment, the receptacle further comprises a sidewall and a pierceable closure. The sidewall extends from the end layer at the first end of the receiver to the second end of the receiver, and the sidewall and the end layer define a cavity of the receiver. The second end of the receptacle defines an opening and a pierceable closure is formed over the opening, wherein the sidewall, the end layer, and the pierceable closure define a single chamber.

In yet another embodiment, causing the dispenser to melt frozen liquid content comprises: causing the dispenser to perforate the receptacle with a second needle at a second location, the second location being different from the perforation of the end layer; and causing the dispenser to inject liquid above the freezing temperature of the frozen liquid content into the receiver via the passage of the second needle to melt and dilute the frozen content in the receiver.

In yet another embodiment, causing the dispenser to melt the frozen liquid content comprises starting a process in which the dispenser melts the frozen liquid content via at least one of: (a) applying heat to an outer surface of the receptacle, and (b) adding a dilution liquid to an interior space of the receptacle.

In yet another aspect of the invention, a method of producing a molten liquid product from a receiver containing a frozen liquid content includes receiving the receiver containing the frozen liquid content in a chamber of a dispenser. The receiver has an end layer disposed at one end of the receiver and the frozen liquid content is in contact with substantially the entire end layer of the receiver. The frozen liquid content and the receptacle define a void area within the receptacle free of the frozen liquid content. The distributor perforates the end layer of the receiver with a first needle. The method also includes detaching the frozen liquid content from the end layer and displacing the frozen liquid content into the void region. The dispenser melts the frozen liquid content in the receiver to produce a molten liquid product, and the dispenser dispenses the molten liquid product from the receiver.

In one embodiment, the detaching of the frozen liquid content from the end layer and displacing the frozen liquid content into the void area occurs as a result of the distributor perforating the end layer of the receptacle with the first needle.

In another embodiment, the frozen liquid content is completely melted prior to dispensing the melted liquid product.

In yet another embodiment, the melting of the frozen liquid content includes heating the first needle after perforating the end layer.

In yet another embodiment, the method further comprises the dispenser perforating the receptacle at least one location different from the perforation of the end layer.

In yet another embodiment, the receiver is filterless.

In one embodiment, melting the frozen liquid content comprises: the dispenser perforates the receptacle with a second needle at a second location different from the perforation of the end layer; and the dispenser heats the second needle.

In yet another embodiment, the dispenser melting the frozen liquid content comprises the dispenser melting the frozen liquid content by at least one of: (a) applying heat to an outer surface of the receiver; and (b) adding a dilution liquid into the interior space of the receptacle.

In another embodiment, the method further comprises the dispenser identifying a characteristic of the chilled liquid content of the receiver. Optionally, dispensing the characteristic identifying the chilled liquid content of the receiver comprises the dispenser reading an optical code on an outer surface of the receiver. Optionally, the dispenser identifying a characteristic of the chilled liquid content of the receiver comprises the dispenser reading a shape of the receiver.

In one embodiment, the method further comprises: the desired temperature at which the dispenser receives the molten liquid product: and the dispenser receiving the desired volume of molten liquid product. The dispenser selectively applies heat to an exterior surface of the receiver and selectively adds dilution liquid to the interior of the receiver based on the identified characteristics of the frozen liquid content, the desired volume for the molten liquid product, and the desired temperature.

In yet another aspect, a receiver, the receiver comprising: a sidewall having a tapered portion that increases in size from a first end of the receiver to a second end of the receiver; and an end layer disposed at a first end of the receiver. The end layer is defined by a sheet without openings, and the side walls and the end layer define a cavity of the receptacle. The second end of the receiver defines an opening. A solid frozen liquid content is disposed in the cavity of the receptacle, and a pierceable closure is formed over the opening of the receptacle to seal the receptacle. The solid frozen liquid content, at least a portion of the sidewall, and at least a portion of the pierceable closure define an empty space in the receptacle that is free of the solid frozen liquid content. The receptacle is configured for insertion into a dispensing apparatus, and the end layer of the receptacle is perforable by a needle disposed within the dispensing apparatus. The solid frozen liquid content has a first location and a second location within the cavity. In the first position, the solid frozen liquid content is proximate to an end layer of the receptacle. In the second position, the solid frozen liquid content is displaced from the end layer of the receptacle and into the empty space. In the second position, at least a portion of the empty space remains unoccupied by the solid frozen liquid content.

In one embodiment, when the solid frozen liquid content is in the first position, an empty space defined by the solid frozen liquid content, the portion of the sidewall, and the portion of the pierceable closure is equal to or greater than about half of a total volume defined by the sidewall, the end layer, and the pierceable closure.

In another embodiment, the solid frozen liquid content is sufficiently hard at a temperature between about 0 ° F and about 32 ° F such that a force applied by a needle of the dispensing apparatus moves the solid frozen liquid content from the first position to the second position.

In yet another embodiment, the receiver further comprises a platform disposed between the solid frozen liquid content and the end layer. The platform is configured to contact the needles of the dispensing apparatus when the end layer is pierced by the needles. Optionally, the end layer comprises a recess complementary to the shape of the platform, and the platform is disposed within the recess.

In yet another embodiment, the platform is a substantially flat disk. Alternatively, the platform is at least one of concave or convex with respect to the end layer. Still further alternatively, the platform is corrugated.

In yet another embodiment, the platform comprises an overflow tube. The overflow tube has at least one channel that allows flow to pass from a first side of the platform to a second side of the platform via the channel.

In one embodiment, the tapered portion of the sidewall is continuously tapered.

In yet another embodiment, the tapered portion of the sidewall includes a first tapered portion and a second tapered portion. The first tapered portion tapers to a greater degree than the second tapered portion. The first tapered portion is proximal to the end layer and the second tapered portion is distal to the end layer. Optionally, the height of the solid frozen liquid content is below the transition point between the first tapered portion and the second tapered portion.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the features of the disclosed subject matter in order that the detailed description that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. Of course, additional features of the disclosed apparatus and techniques will be described hereinafter. It is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. Additionally, any of the above aspects and embodiments may be combined with any of the other aspects and embodiments and still be within the scope of the present invention.

Drawings

Various objects, features and advantages of the disclosed technology can be more fully understood by reference to the following detailed description of the disclosed subject matter when considered in connection with the following drawings in which like reference numerals identify like elements.

Fig. 1A-1G illustrate various embodiments of receiver geometries and frozen liquid contents configured in different forms and packaged to allow a desired flow of liquid through the frozen liquid contents, according to some embodiments.

Fig. 2A-2D illustrate various embodiments showing how a dilution system adds or delivers liquid to or from a frozen liquid content by piercing a package and heating the package externally and controllably (such that melting and dilution are the result), according to some embodiments.

Fig. 3 illustrates a method of melting frozen liquid content without using a melting/diluting liquid, but rather using some alternative source of heat, in accordance with some embodiments.

Fig. 4A-4D illustrate an exemplary machine-based device that can accommodate various receiver geometries, according to some embodiments.

Fig. 5 illustrates a series of exemplary package selections and receptacle shapes that may be received by a machine-based device, according to some embodiments.

Fig. 6 and 7 illustrate two versions of a receptacle having the same end geometry and height but different sidewall profiles, according to some embodiments.

Fig. 8 and 9 illustrate two versions of a sidewall recess (a feature that may be used to speed liquefaction and for product identification) in a receptacle, according to some embodiments.

Figures 10A-10E illustrate five possible needle geometries that may be used to perforate a receptacle, according to some embodiments.

Fig. 11 illustrates the use of centrifugal motion to accelerate liquefaction of frozen liquid content, according to some embodiments.

Fig. 12A and 12B illustrate a spring-loaded needle according to some embodiments.

Fig. 13A-13D illustrate a process of producing a food or beverage from frozen liquid contents, according to some embodiments.

Fig. 14A illustrates a side cross-sectional view of a receiver having an inner platform, according to some embodiments.

Fig. 14B illustrates a side cross-sectional view of a receptacle having an inner platform and a detached frozen liquid content according to some embodiments.

Fig. 14C illustrates a liquid frozen content platform according to some embodiments.

Figure 14D illustrates a liquid frozen content platform with overflow tubes according to some embodiments.

Fig. 15A illustrates a side cross-sectional view of a receiver according to some embodiments.

Figure 15B illustrates a side cut-away view of detail a of figure 15A, according to some embodiments.

Figure 16 illustrates a side cut-away view of a receiver having a platform with an overflow tube, according to some embodiments.

Figure 17 illustrates a side cut-away view of a receiver having a platform with an overflow tube, according to some embodiments.

Fig. 18 illustrates a side cross-sectional view of a receiver having an annular platform designed and dimensioned to fit over a raised protrusion on an end layer of the receiver, in accordance with some embodiments.

Fig. 19 illustrates a side cross-sectional view of a receiver having a dome-shaped end layer, according to some embodiments.

Fig. 20A and 20B illustrate operation of a receiver having a dome-shaped end layer according to some embodiments.

Fig. 21 illustrates a side cross-sectional view of a receiver with a flat end layer and with partially melted frozen contents, according to some embodiments.

Fig. 22A-22D illustrate various features for increasing the rigidity of a platform for holding frozen contents, according to some embodiments.

Fig. 23 illustrates a platform having a mixing tab protruding from a surface of the platform according to some embodiments.

Figure 24 illustrates an underside view of a frozen content mixing platform ready to engage a perforator according to some embodiments.

Figure 25 illustrates engagement between a perforator and a frozen content mixing platform according to some embodiments.

Figure 26 illustrates a perforator external to a receptacle ready to engage a frozen content lifting platform within the receptacle, according to some embodiments.

Figure 27 illustrates engagement between a perforator and a frozen content mixing platform according to some embodiments.

Fig. 28 illustrates partial melting of frozen content disposed on a frozen content mixing platform according to some embodiments.

Figures 29A and 29B illustrate the inner and outer passages of a perforator allowing liquid flow according to some embodiments.

Figures 30A-30D illustrate various perforators having channels or shapes to allow liquid to flow through or past the perforator, according to some embodiments.

Fig. 31 illustrates a side cross-sectional view of a receptacle having a raised lip according to some embodiments.

Fig. 32 illustrates a side cross-sectional view of a receiver according to some embodiments.

Fig. 33 illustrates a side cross-sectional view of a receiver according to some embodiments.

Fig. 34 illustrates a side cross-sectional view of a receiver according to some embodiments.

Fig. 35A-35B illustrate portions of a dispenser system according to some embodiments.

Fig. 36A-36B illustrate portions of a dispenser system according to some embodiments.

Figures 37A-37E illustrate portions of a dispenser system according to some embodiments.

Fig. 38A-38E illustrate portions of a dispenser system according to some embodiments.

39A-39B illustrate portions of a dispenser system according to some embodiments.

Fig. 40 is a cross-sectional view of a system for heating the frozen liquid contents of a receiver using radio frequency dielectric heating in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 41 is an isometric view of a chamber cover including two fluid delivery needles and a central electrode for ohmic heating according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 42 is a cross-sectional view of the first implementation of the ohmic heating system of FIG. 41 according to an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 43 is a cross-sectional view of a second implementation of the ohmic heating system of figure 41 according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 44 is an isometric view of a chamber cover including two fluid delivery needles and two electrodes for ohmic heating according to an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 45 is a cross-sectional view of the ohmic heating system of figure 44 according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 46 is an isometric view for a heating system using microwave energy to heat a frozen liquid content in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, where the bottom of the rotating chamber is open.

FIG. 47 is an isometric view of the bottom of the rotating chamber of FIG. 46 (shown closed) according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 48 is a cross-sectional view of the heating system of fig. 46, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 49 is a graph showing dielectric loss factors of water and ice.

Fig. 50 is an isometric view of an infrared heating system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 51 is an isometric view of two spirally wound electrodes in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 52 is a second isometric view of the two spirally wound electrodes of FIG. 51.

FIG. 53 is an isometric view of two rectangular electrodes according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 54 illustrates a portion of a dispenser system according to some embodiments.

Detailed Description

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth regarding the systems and methods of the disclosed subject matter and the environments in which such systems and methods may operate in order to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosed subject matter. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the disclosed subject matter may be practiced without such specific details, and that certain features that are well known in the art have not been described in detail to avoid complicating the disclosed subject matter. Additionally, it should be understood that the embodiments described below are exemplary and that other systems and methods are contemplated as being within the scope of the disclosed subject matter.

Various techniques described herein provide for packaging one or more frozen food or beverage liquids using a filterless receiver and how to efficiently convert the frozen liquid contents into a high quality, palatable food or beverage product. A single-chamber filter-less receptacle may be designed such that a machine-based system may accommodate the receptacle and facilitate melting and/or dilution of the frozen liquid content to conveniently produce a consumable liquid beverage or food product having a desired flavor, potency, volume, temperature, and texture in a timely manner directly from the frozen liquid content without having to brew. For simplicity, frozen food or beverage liquid may be referred to as "frozen liquid content".

In some embodiments, the liquid that is frozen to produce the frozen liquid content may be any frozen liquid substance, which in some embodiments may be derived from a so-called extract, such as a product obtained by removing certain soluble solids using a solvent. For example, the extract may be produced using water to remove certain desired soluble solids from coffee grounds or tea leaves. To some extent confusing, certain liquid extracts with high solids content are often referred to as concentrated extracts. In this context, the use of the term "concentration" may or may not be entirely accurate depending on whether the high solids content is purely by solvent extraction of the solids or by an ancillary step of concentration in which solvent is removed from the liquid using some means (e.g., by reverse osmosis or using heated evaporation or refrigeration) to increase its effectiveness or strength.

In contrast to "brewers," which are systems for producing beverage products by extracting or dissolving solids (e.g., separately in plants where grinds/leaves, etc. may be processed in batches), the apparatus described herein that facilitates beverage production is not a brewer. Rather, it utilizes a dispensing function that can be used to produce a beverage from a previously brewed frozen liquid content to melt and/or dilute.

The liquid used to make the frozen liquid content may also be a pure concentrate (e.g., a product obtained solely by removing water or other solvent from a consumable compound such as a fruit juice or soup) to produce a fruit juice concentrate or a soup concentrate. In some embodiments, water may be removed from the milk to produce a concentrated milk. High TDS values and/or concentrations may be desirable to reduce shipping costs and shelf space, or for convenience, versatility in the efficacy and portion size of the product produced via dilution, or for increased shelf life due to, for example, enhanced antimicrobial activity due to reduced water activity. These details are intended to illustrate variations, but any liquid food or beverage product (regardless of how it is produced, and regardless of its solids content) falls within the scope of the present disclosure.

In some embodiments, the frozen liquid content may be one of coffee or tea extract, lemonade, fruit juice, soup, liquid dairy, alcohol, syrup, viscous liquid, or any liquid food that is frozen. The frozen liquid contents may be substances with or without nutritional value, may be flavored naturally or artificially, and may or may not be packaged with preservatives, and the like. The frozen liquid contents may constitute energy-or metabolic-donating carbohydrates, proteins, dietary minerals and other nutrients. The frozen liquid content may include or may be enhanced with additives such as vitamins, calcium, potassium, sodium and/or iron, etc. The frozen liquid content may include preservatives, such as antimicrobial additives, antioxidants, and synthetic and/or non-synthetic compounds. Examples of preservative additives may include lactic acid, nitrates and nitrides, benzoic acid, sodium benzoate, oxybenzoates, propionic acid, sodium propionate, sulfur dioxide and sulfites, sorbic acid and sodium sorbate, sodium ascorbate, tocopherol, ascorbate, butylated hydroxytoluene, butylated hydroxyanisole, gallic acid and sodium gallate, deoxidizers, disodium EDTA, citric acid (and citrate), tartaric acid and lecithin, ascorbic acid, phenolase, rosemary extract, hops, salt, sugar, vinegar, alcohol, diatomaceous earth and sodium benzoate, and the like. It should be understood that the listed additives are intended to be within the scope of the technology described herein, and that the specific reference to additives is exemplary only, and may also include derivatives thereof as well as other compounds.

The frozen liquid content or substance may or may not have suspended solids and may include insoluble solids. In some embodiments, making a concentrate, extract, or other consumable fluid form of the frozen liquid contents may include additives that are completely dissolved in a solvent prior to freezing. In some embodiments, the frozen liquid content may also include a quantity of a composition that is not dissolved in the frozen liquid content during packaging, but is dissolved by a machine-based system in the process of producing a beverage or food having desired characteristics.

Fig. 1A-1E illustrate various embodiments of how frozen liquid contents may be structured and packaged to allow for a desired pressurized or gravity-fed flow of dilution liquid through a receiver holding the frozen liquid contents to be obtained by a machine-based system. In addition to facilitating heat transfer to the frozen liquid contents, the dilution liquid may effectively create turbulent motion to accelerate melting in various ways within the scope of the techniques described herein. Within the receiver, the frozen liquid content may be frozen into any useful shape or size.

In fig. 1A, a cross-sectional view of a receiver 110 is shown (with the sealing lid not in place) wherein the receiver defines a cavity for packaging a chilled liquid content 120. The frozen liquid contents 120 may be frozen in situ by filling the receptacle with a liquid and then freezing the liquid, or the frozen contents may be frozen into a particular shape and then placed in the receptacle. In this case, the frozen liquid content is shown leaving the bottom portion of the receptacle to leave a gap for the outlet needle to perforate and form a passageway around the outer surface of the frozen liquid content in the receptacle for creating the desired flow of melted/diluted liquid through the receptacle and around the frozen liquid content to create a beverage having the desired flavor, intensity, volume, texture and temperature. Fig. 1B shows another embodiment in which the frozen liquid content has been molded into the following shape: the shape is configured to mate with the outside of the receptacle and then loaded such that the pre-molded shape defines a through-hole 130 in its body and a relief portion 132 below for accommodating the outlet needle perforation to provide a desired flow of liquid through the outlet needle perforation without blockage or backpressure. FIG. 1C illustrates a plurality of frozen liquid content pieces 140-180, the frozen liquid content pieces 140-180 having a variety of shapes and sizes with large interstitial spaces therebetween to provide the desired liquid flow through the receiver and around the frozen liquid content. In some embodiments, the frozen liquid content within the sealed receptacle may include a plurality of concentrates and compositions. For example, frozen liquid contents 140 and 150 may comprise lemonade concentrates, while frozen beverage concentrates 160, 170 and 180 may comprise tea concentrates, resulting in "Arnold palm".

Fig. 1D and 1E illustrate an embodiment of a receiver 115 for alternative shaping, the receiver 115 including a bottom portion having a dome 195 (bi-stable or otherwise). In fig. 1D, the receiver 115 is shown in its initial state, at which point the chilled liquid content is added and frozen in place, and has a frozen dome 195 at the bottom, with the dome in an initial or initial position that expands outwardly from the receiver. Fig. 1E shows the condition of receiver 115 after dome 195 has been displaced to a second position directed inwardly into the cavity of the receiver, such that liquid frozen liquid content 190 is displaced upwardly into the headspace, restoring or "swapping" the space or gap between the interior bottom of the receiver and the bottom portion of the frozen liquid content. This displacement desirably creates space for the outlet piercing needles at the bottom of the receptacle and also creates a flow path for any melting/diluting liquid to pass around the outside of the frozen liquid contents.

Fig. 1F shows a receptacle 196 that includes a multifaceted shape. In this embodiment, receiver 196 includes differently shaped portions 196A-196E. In some embodiments, the process of filling, melting, and diluting the frozen liquid contents may generally be unaffected by the size or shape of the receptacle. In some embodiments, certain design considerations may be considered with respect to using geometries that may, for example, facilitate and facilitate unrestricted release of the frozen liquid contents, accommodate needle perforation, allow for a gap to form around the frozen liquid contents to form a ready flow path for the dilution liquid, and so forth. For example, one or more of such design considerations may be met by positive (non-locking) draft in the sidewall of the receptacle that is in contact with the frozen liquid content. The draft may be accomplished by, for example, tapering the sidewalls of the receiver, such as tapering the sidewalls outward from the bottom of the receiver to the top of the receiver (e.g., the diameter of the receiver becomes larger closer to the top of the receiver). This may create a positive draft (positive draft) so that pushing the chilled liquid content away from the bottom of the receiver creates a gap around the sides of the chilled liquid content (e.g., this avoids mechanical locking of the chilled liquid content against the sides of the receiver). Such a positive draft may be used to create a natural flow path for the diluent liquid to travel through the receptacle, e.g., the liquid flows from an inlet needle perforation to an outlet needle perforation of the receptacle.

Fig. 1G shows receptacle 197 with cover 198, cover 198 including pull tab 199 which is removable by the consumer. Pull tab 199 may be removed to facilitate use of a straw or similar device in conjunction with receiver 197. As another example, pull tab 199 may be removed to facilitate the introduction of dilution fluid into receptacle 197.

Fig. 2A illustrates a perspective view of a receptacle (including a shaped sealing closure, such as the cap structure 118), which cap structure 118 may include piercing holes 210 therein, whereby, in some embodiments, a dilution fluid (which may also serve as a melting agent) may be introduced into the receptacle. The lid structure 118 may include tabs 119 for allowing manual removal of the lid to access the frozen liquid content without perforating the lid in some cases. The cover structure may be made of the same material as the receiver to better support efforts toward single stream recovery. The lid structure may be made with sufficient gauge thickness to adequately withstand internal pressures generated by, for example, a melting/diluting liquid, which may increase and decrease with forces generated by the containment system. For example, vibrations, centrifugal or rotating platforms, etc. that contribute to melting or the flow rate of the injected dilution liquid will affect the pressure exerted on the lid, seal and receiver. Furthermore, the perforations made by the containment system may affect the pressure generated on the airtight seal, lid and receptacle. The cover may be attached to the receiver by any suitable technique, such as, for example, heat sealing or crimping, radial folding, sonic welding, and this function may be achieved by any mechanism or form of cover that seals the internal cavity and acts as a barrier against gas or moisture migration.

Fig. 2B shows an alternative embodiment of a piercing cap comprising two perforations 215. Fig. 2C shows the bottom pierced holes 220 to allow dilution liquid to exit the sealed receptacle. However, these examples are intended to be illustrative, as one or more piercing holes may be formed anywhere on the receiver. The piercing holes can be formed in specific locations to dispense solvents, diluents, liquids (such as water), gases or vapors for the desired melting and dilution environment and ultimately to produce the desired beverage in a timely manner. The piercing holes can be of any size as desired, for example, to allow dispensing of oversized solids (frozen or insoluble solids) from the receptacle. In some variations, the perforations may be perforated to allow a particular size of frozen structure to escape and dispense from the receptacle to produce a fluid, frozen, slush or slush-like beverage. Additionally, multiple piercing holes may be advantageous to provide venting of the receptacle when the melting/diluting fluid is input in the receptacle.

Fig. 2D shows an embodiment with four piercing holes (230-233) located near the periphery of the receiver 270 for liquid to enter through the lid 250 of the receiver 260, the receiver 260 being loaded top down into the machine-based system. As shown in this embodiment, a puncture hole 240 may be provided near the center of the receiver lid for allowing melted and diluted frozen liquid content to exit the receiver. In this figure, the frozen liquid content (not shown) is frozen within the dome-shaped bottom of the inverted receiver to allow the desired flow environment, with the liquid being redirected through the tapered sides of the receiver to the outlet perforations. In this example, the melted and diluted liquid may flow from the receptacle into a second receptacle for consumption by a single or multiple nozzles provided by the containment device.

In some embodiments, the frozen liquid contents contained in these receptacles may be better preserved when degassed or deoxygenated, including the use of degassed or deoxygenated solvents (e.g., water) in the extraction process, where appropriate. In some embodiments, the liquid used to make the frozen liquid content may be frozen at peak quality in terms of freshness, flavor, taste, and nutrition. In some embodiments, such as for coffee-based beverages, the frozen liquid content is rapidly frozen during peak flavor immediately after extraction to maintain optimal taste, aroma, and overall quality, and then dispensed in a frozen state to maintain its taste and aroma. For example, espresso concentrate may be preserved and may be ground within 0-36 hours after roasting, brewed immediately after grinding, and tasted best when deoxygenated water is used during brewing. By rapidly freezing a liquid concentrate, extract, or other consumable fluid during peak flavors immediately after brewing, the peak flavor, best taste, aroma, and overall quality of the extract can be captured. Furthermore, by packaging the flash-frozen liquid in an air-impermeable and recyclable receptacle using MAP technology (as further described herein), and providing that the frozen liquid content remains frozen during subsequent storage and delivery to the end consumer, fresh flavor can be maintained almost indefinitely. In some embodiments, the frozen liquid content may be frozen by removing heat from selected and controlled portions of the receptacle to later aid in removing the resulting adhesion (sticking) between the frozen liquid content and the sides of the receptacle. For example, in certain embodiments, the liquid contents are placed in a receptacle, and heat is removed to cause the liquid to begin freezing at the top surface of the liquid and then to freeze downward. Doing so reduces adhesion between the frozen liquid content and the interior of the receiver sidewall.

In some embodiments, packaging may be performed prior to freezing if the quality of the contents can be maintained by some other FDA food safety method (e.g., syrup for making carbonated beverages). In some embodiments, the frozen liquid contents may be frozen during dispensing and never melt, melt once or many times. Dispensing and maintaining the receptacle at a temperature below the freezing point of the frozen liquid contents may improve the quality preservation and safety of the nutritionally enriched food, but is not required in all embodiments. In some embodiments, the beverage concentrate is quickly frozen and kept frozen in its receptacle until it is ready to be melted and/or diluted just prior to being prepared for consumption.

In some embodiments, the frozen liquid content may also be packaged as a plurality of frozen liquid contents, which are configured in a layered and/or mixed fashion. In some embodiments, the frozen liquid contents may be configured in any shape or geometry as long as the contents can fit within the cavity volume of the receptacle while maintaining the unfilled region, and can be repositioned for performing certain piercing operations by the containment system. In some embodiments, the frozen liquid content may be crushed or macerated to increase the surface area of the frozen liquid content, thereby increasing the rate of melting.

In some embodiments, the liquid comprising frozen liquid content may be frozen after being measured into the receiver. In some embodiments, the fluid used to produce the frozen liquid content may be frozen prior to delivery to the receiver, for example, pre-frozen in a mold, extruded, frozen and cut to size, or by other means and subsequently deposited in the receiver as some frozen solid of the desired shape. This may be accomplished in coordination with the dimensions of the receptacle having a tapered portion so that the frozen liquid content does not interfere with the area of the receptacle designated for piercing. For example, the frozen liquid content may be shaped to be moved away from the piercing area because its diameter is greater than the diameter of the top, bottom, or other first or second end of the receiver, as shown in fig. 1A. In other words, the frozen liquid content may be produced in a first stage or separate step and then received, inserted and sealed in a receptacle that may be housed by a machine-based dispensing system. In some embodiments, the liquid beverage concentrate is received as a slurry or liquid, to be frozen, and sealed in the receiver sequentially or together. In some embodiments, the frozen liquid content is potency, shape, and size, and structured within the receiver such that a machine-based system can readily melt and/or dilute the liquid frozen liquid content, converting the content into a consumable liquid having a desired flavor, potency, volume, temperature, and texture.

In some embodiments, a receptacle for holding/storing frozen liquid contents using the techniques described herein comprises a cup-shaped portion having a continuous and closed bottom portion, a continuous sidewall extending from the bottom portion that tapers outwardly as it extends away from the bottom portion, and a sealable top opening defined by the continuous sidewall. The wall is not disturbed by filters or other internal features that would interfere with certain puncture holes, frozen liquid content displacement and flow.

In some embodiments, the receptacle comprises a cavity for storing frozen liquid contents. The package (referred to before and after as "receptacle") in which the frozen liquid content is sealed may additionally be described as a cartridge, cup, package, pouch, box, container, capsule, or the like. The receptacle may be of any shape, style, color or combination and may be designed to enhance the liquefaction environment in cooperation with the dispensing apparatus. The package may be flexible, have a well-defined shape, or a combination thereof. For aesthetic or functional reasons, for example, to supplement a cartridge detection or motion drive function applied to the cartridge, the walls of the receptacle may be concave and/or convex to provide different cartridge sizes while keeping certain interface sizes constant. Likewise, color and/or shape may be used to communicate information to the dispenser.

For example, fig. 6 and 7 show two versions of

receptacles

610 and 710 having the same end geometry and height, but different sidewall profiles. The different curved sidewalls create different internal volumes and head spaces that can be used to freeze the liquid contents, but the diameter of their ends and their overall height are the same.

In some embodiments, the outer surface of the receiver is colored or coated with a material designed to enhance absorption of infrared energy that may be used to heat and/or melt the frozen liquid contents. In some embodiments, the shape of the side wall of the receiver, when viewed in cross-section from the first end or the second end, will be a star or other non-circular shape, e.g., a shape whose peripheral surface area will be much larger than that of a smooth cylinder or cone, thereby promoting faster proportional heating and melting of the frozen concentrate. This may be effective in promoting melting in a number of ways, including increasing surface area for heat transfer through the receiver to the frozen liquid contents, creating a more turbulent environment in the receiver that accelerates melting, or directing the liquid away from the outlet perforations to promote a higher rate of heat transfer within the receiver.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 8 and 9, there is a "keying feature" 620 or 621 that may help promote internal turbulence during melting and dilution of frozen liquid contents, and may also be used to identify the contents or product line used to fill the receptacle.

In some embodiments, the receptacle includes an enclosure for sealing the receptacle to assist in maintaining the MAP gas environment. In this case, the hermetic seal between the cover and the receiver may be achieved using a variety of methods, including but not limited to a patch, adhesive, cork, heat seal, crimp, and the like. In some embodiments, the closure may be designed to be manually removable, for example, as previously described, with a pull tab on the lid, so that the frozen liquid contents may be used in other ways if a machine-based system for preparing consumable beverages is not available. In some embodiments, the device may require manual perforation rather than machine-implemented perforation prior to loading the receptacle into the machine-based dispensing system.

The frozen liquid content may be packaged in a material that provides gas migration control, for example, the receptacle may be constructed of a gas impermeable material for creating a durable storage package for maintaining the freshness and aroma of the packaged frozen liquid content. For example, the receiver may be constructed of an aluminum substrate or other metallic material and is typically prepared with an FDA approved coating for contact with food, if desired. As another example (e.g., if recycling capability is not a critical issue), the receiver may include a multilayer barrier film (including, for example, EVOH plastic layers). In some embodiments, if the receiver is made of metal, the receiver will preferably be made of a highly thermally conductive material (such as aluminum) to support faster heat transfer, particularly if the heated dilution liquid is not the primary means for melting the frozen liquid contents. In some embodiments, the package may comprise an edible packaging material that can be dissolved and consumed. In some embodiments, the receptacle and its closure are constructed of a gas impermeable, recyclable material so that the waste receptacle, including the closure and other packaging features, can be recycled in its entirety.

In some embodiments, the chilled liquid content is packaged with, without, or with limited headspace. As mentioned above, headspace refers to any excess atmosphere within the sealed receptacle, optionally located between the top portion of the frozen liquid content and the lid or closure portion of the receptacle. Furthermore, any headspace in the package receptacle may advantageously be filled with a MAP gas (such as argon, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, or other gaseous compounds known to be less chemically reactive than air or oxygen). In some embodiments, the top or outermost layer or envelope of the frozen liquid contents may be layered with a frozen degassed water coating (which may serve as a preservative barrier). In some embodiments, the chilled liquid content is vacuum sealed in a flexible receiver. In some embodiments, the frozen liquid content is packaged in the receptacle in a manner that minimizes surface area contact of the content with the atmosphere (particularly oxygen, but also any gas that entrains aroma).

In some embodiments, the receptacle is internally coated with a material that significantly reduces the force required to detach the frozen liquid content from the sides or bottom of the receptacle to facilitate movement of the frozen liquid content away or by the action of the piercing needle and create an unrestricted pathway for the melting and/or diluting liquid through around the outer surface of the frozen liquid content up to the outlet perforations. In some embodiments, the bottom of the receiver includes a dome structure (bi-stable or otherwise) that can expand downward, away from the bottom of the receiver, during filling and freezing of the liquid content, and then flip upward to its second stable position after freezing to hold the frozen liquid content away from the bottom of the receiver to facilitate needle perforation and/or flow of dilution liquid around the outer surface of the frozen liquid content to the outlet perforation. In some embodiments, the dome is flipped over at the factory prior to shipping the product to the consumer. In some embodiments, the dome is turned by the consumer just prior to use, or by the machine as part of the insertion and needle piercing. In some embodiments, the dome is flipped by the machine. These embodiments are merely examples and are not cited to limit the functions or features of the receiver that may be helpful in detaching frozen liquid content or beverage production. Additionally, in the above examples, the frozen liquid content is displaced up into the headspace through the piercing needle or dome. However, in other embodiments, the frozen liquid content may be displaced in different directions (e.g., downward or laterally) into the unfilled region of the receptacle and still be within the scope of the present invention. Similarly, the frozen liquid content may be shaped and sized to facilitate rupturing by needle penetration through the bottom or top of the receptacle.

In some embodiments, the frozen liquid contents may be packaged and structured in a receptacle as follows: the receptacle is of a particular size and shape so that it can be accommodated by the systems currently on the market or by machine-based dilution systems designed to extract solutes or brew coffee in order to produce a beverage having the desired flavor, potency, volume, temperature and texture.

In some embodiments, the package of frozen liquid content includes an additional barrier or secondary package that protects the frozen concentrate from melting or exposure to ultraviolet light during dispensing. For example, packaging frozen liquid contents in a receptacle further packaged in a carton adds an insulating layer and will thereby slow the temperature loss or melting of the frozen liquid contents, for example when temperature loss or melting is not desired.

In embodiments of the present technology, an apparatus for producing food or beverages from frozen liquid content advantageously includes a filter-less receiver, which is different from currently available filter receivers, such as exemplified by U.S. patent No.5,325,765. There is no filter receiver and, for example, (1) the (substantially) complete removal of frozen liquid contents during melting and/or dilution and subsequent transport, and (2) the use of homogeneous structural materials, makes the receiver ideally suited for recycling.

In some embodiments, the receptacle is configured to be received by a machine-based system and is capable of receiving liquid dispensed therefrom to further facilitate melting and/or diluting the frozen liquid content into a consumable liquid product having a desired set of characteristics.

In some embodiments, the receptacle may be large enough that it may contain the molten contents and all added dilution liquid from the machine-based system, and may be consumed directly to the final product based on the receptacle. The perforations for adding the dilution liquid may be suitable for subsequent use with a straw or other means to allow direct recipient-based consumption as compared to dispensing the diluted and/or melted contents into a secondary container.

In some embodiments, the receptacle with frozen liquid content is provided in a controlled portion arrangement, wherein the controlled portion arrangement may comprise a single serving format, or a batch serving format for producing a plurality of servings. In some embodiments, the machine-based system may house the receiver or receivers in any method, shape, or form to facilitate melting and dilution of the frozen liquid contents. In some embodiments, the machine-based system can accommodate multiple receiver types and sizes for a larger product family of possibilities.

In some embodiments, the receptacle may be perforated by a consumer or a machine-based system. For example, the consumer may remove the patch before the receptacle is received by the machine-based system to expose a perforation disposed in the receptacle. Alternatively, the machine-based system may perforate the sealed receptacle using a variety of methods, including pressure to rupture the receptacle or a piercing needle.

In some embodiments, the package may become perforable only after exposure to higher temperatures or mechanical action. For example, the package may be made of a sponge-like material, such that the frozen liquid content is permeable when heated. In an alternative example, the frozen liquid contents are melted or liquefied by this action to allow a machine driven needle to penetrate the receptacle and contents with less force.

As mentioned above, the perforation may be a single hole. In some embodiments, multiple perforations may be provided in the receiver at multiple locations. In general, the perforations described herein are intended for introducing a melting/diluting liquid, gas or vapor, or allowing the molten frozen liquid content to exit the receiver, since there is no need to filter the molten frozen liquid content. In some embodiments, the receiver is perforated and a push rod or the like is introduced to remove the entire frozen liquid content from the receiver prior to melting and dilution. In some embodiments, the punctures may be staged — one puncture is made first and then another puncture or punctures are made in stages at different intervals during the allocation process. The machine-based system may displace the chilled liquid content, or the consumer may displace the chilled liquid content, remove it from the package, and load only the chilled liquid content into the system. In some embodiments, the receiver is perforated by a machine-based system in a position that allows the entire frozen liquid content to exit the receiver before or after melting, so as not to waste any beverage product and to remove any recovery contaminants from the receiver. In some embodiments, the frozen contents are extruded from the receptacle. In other embodiments, the perforator pushes frozen content from the receptacle. A blade may be used to remove the lid or alternatively pressure may rupture the lid and remove it from the cartridge.

For embodiments in which all or part of the frozen liquid content is moved from the receptacle into a separate chamber (i.e., melting the vessel), all of the various techniques for preparing the final food or beverage product associated with preparation in the receptacle are equally applicable, and the final product can be dispensed from the vessel. For example, the separate chambers may be heated, agitated (as described below), and receive the expansion liquid in the same manner as set forth for heating, agitating, and injecting the dilution liquid into the receptacle. For clarity, embodiments of the invention are described in terms of performing a product preparation action on a receptacle containing contents, but it is within the scope of the invention to perform these operations on separate chambers.

The perforation may be performed before, after or during freezing and/or diluting the frozen liquid content. In some embodiments, the chilled liquid content is melted and exits the receiver before being diluted by the dispensed diluent to obtain the desired beverage. In some examples of the present technology, the chilled liquid content may be diluted with the dispensed liquid prior to dispensing the content into a subsequent or auxiliary receptacle. In some embodiments, the frozen liquid content is melted and diluted simultaneously. For example, in some embodiments, a liquid may be introduced into a receptacle containing frozen liquid contents to melt and/or dilute the frozen liquid contents simultaneously or together.

While pushing pressurized liquid around or through the frozen liquid contents within the receiver can effectively accelerate the rate of melting, other methods exist to achieve the same result and increase the speed of the process. Figure 3 illustrates a method for producing a desired beverage without the use of a pressurized liquid to simultaneously melt and/or dilute the frozen liquid content. The frozen liquid contents 310 are enclosed in a pierceable receptacle. The receiver 320 is perforated and contained by a machine-based system and the chilled liquid content is liquefied via a melting component such as an external heat source or the like. The process of freezing liquid contents to produce a consumable liquid product from the techniques described herein may be carried out by the initial step of providing the contents in a sealed receptacle to store the contents therein. The receptacle is housed by a machine-based system that applies heat to the receptacle via an external heat source for melting frozen food or beverage into a consumable liquid food or beverage form, wherein the sealed closure is perforated for allowing dispensing of the consumable liquid beverage directly from the sealed closure.

In some embodiments, the negative energy contained in the chilled liquid content absorbs excess heat from the dilution liquid, gas, or vapor used to make the consumable food or beverage as a means of facilitating access to the cold beverage from the dispenser without the need for a refrigeration system within the dispenser. In this embodiment, it relates to beverages intended to be provided with cold, molten and diluted frozen liquid contents, which are carefully managed using external heat, energy contained within the diluted liquid at ambient temperature and using relative motion between the molten/diluted liquid and the frozen liquid contents to enhance liquefaction, with the goal of minimizing the overall temperature of the final product.

With further reference to fig. 3, the molten beverage contents 330 exiting their receptacles are diluted or co-mingled with a desired diluent in a secondary step via additional liquid dispensed by the machine-based system. The undiluted molten contents may be dispensed before, after, or simultaneously with the addition of a different liquid for dilution. This may include capturing the melted beverage contents in a liquid reservoir that mixes the two liquids prior to being dispensed together by the machine-based system. When dispensed, the secondary receiver 340 receives the melted contents and diluent at the appropriate time.

In some embodiments, the secondary receptacle for collecting the melted/diluted contents may comprise any receptacle known for holding liquid food or beverages. The secondary receiver may be a container, a thermos, a mug, a cup, a tumbler, a bowl, and/or the like. The secondary receiver may or may not be included in the secondary package. Note that: an example of this could be a consumer product package with a soup bowl containing ready-to-eat rice or noodles that is sold with a receiver of frozen liquid soup concentrate, which is combined to make a bowl of soup after the frozen liquid content has melted and/or diluted and discharged into a secondary package. Alternatively, the secondary receiver may be provided separately by the consumer.

In some embodiments, the consumer may desire a beverage without diluting the frozen liquid content. For example, frozen liquid contents already have the appropriate flavor, volume and potency. For example, the frozen liquid content may already be at a TDS level required for consumption, such as espresso or hot chocolate, and need only be melted and dispensed at the desired temperature and texture. For example, machine-based systems may melt frozen liquid contents by placing a thermally conductive receiver against a coiled heater or by irradiating it with infrared light or by impinging heated gas or vapor against the exterior of the receiver, and then piercing the receiver after the contents reach the desired temperature. Furthermore, the frozen liquid content may be conveniently dispensed from a machine-based system into a subsequent container. In some examples, the lid is removed before or after melting and heating for consumption directly from the receptacle.

Fig. 4A-4D illustrate an exemplary machine-based device that can accommodate a variety of different receptacles, according to some embodiments. The system may be, for example, a melting system. The receiver may comprise, for example, various filterless receivers having different sizes and shapes, each receiver holding a quantity of frozen liquid content. The apparatus may be configured to perform the melting, diluting, and delivering functions in order to produce a beverage or food having desired characteristics, as described herein.

In fig. 4A, a system 400 (also referred to herein as a "dispenser") includes a cartridge 430, into which cartridges 430 different sized and/or shaped receptacles may be loaded. Once loaded with a single receiver, the cartridge 430 may be slid into place with the receiver passing through a clearance channel 435 until it is centered over the main system body 410. Instructions for use of the melting system 400 may be communicated to a user via the display 420. The solvent (e.g., water) used to melt/dilute the frozen liquid contents of the receiver is stored in holding tank 440 until needed.

Referring to fig. 4B and 4C, once the receptacle is properly positioned to interact with the system, the needle support arm 450 is moved towards the receptacle using any known means, which may include, by way of example only, a motor 451 (including electrically or pneumatically driven variants) and/or a screw 452 until the needle 457 pierces the closed end of the receptacle. It is also within the scope of the invention to use a manual lever to pierce the receptacle. The shape of the needle may include a pointed tip that protrudes such that it may be inserted into the receptacle to a depth and angle to chop, rupture, or break away a portion of the frozen liquid content to facilitate a flow path to the exit point. The needle 457 may be turned in a helical motion at a depth to facilitate piercing of the receiver and/or frozen liquid content. Alternatively, the needle may be retracted to a second depth within the receptacle or fully retracted from the receptacle after piercing in order to relieve initial dispensing pressure or provide an unobstructed puncture outlet. The needle may be heated prior to or during insertion into the receptacle. A heated probe may be inserted into the receptacle by piercing one of the perforations to accelerate melting of the dispensed contents. Depending on the receiver design and its contents, the second needle support arm 455 may be moved towards the receiver to perforate the bottom of the receiver using a similar motor 454 and drive screw 455. A heater, such as a plate heater or an IR heating source (not shown), may be used to preheat or melt the frozen liquid contents, depending on the product selected and the desired process. When needed, a conduit (not shown) may be used to pass the molten/diluent liquid stored in holding tank 440 through a heat exchanger (not shown) to pass through needle 457 and into the now pierced receiver. Thereafter, the molten liquid may be discharged from the receptacle through the needle 456. In one embodiment, the piercing needles 457 may inject hot liquid, vapor, gas, or any combination thereof directly into the cartridge as a means of aerating the liquefied product for producing a foam-like texture for coffee-based dairy products (such as cappuccino and latte) in a particular example. In one embodiment, the needle inserted into the cartridge may not include an exit structure and is used purely to stabilize the cartridge.

In still other embodiments, the cavity of the dispenser for receiving receptacles of different sizes may instead have a perforator that is retractable based on the shape of the receptacle being received. The perforator, which may be a needle, cutter, blade, crusher, etc., may be retractable using any known mechanical means (e.g., a pivot that rotates the perforator away from the receptacle to avoid puncturing the receptacle, a telescoping mechanism that slides the perforator so as not to obstruct the inserted receptacle, a screw mechanism driven by a stepper motor or the like to raise or lower the perforator as desired, a spring driven device, a flexible tube "dispensed" from a coil or coil and retracted to this position after use, or other options). In some embodiments, the perforator may be moved by a motor or solenoid. In some embodiments, the perforator may move linearly, while in other embodiments, the perforator may move through some more complex paths, for example, a circular path around the circumference of the opening. In some embodiments, the circular path may describe a complete circle to fully release a portion of the cover. In other embodiments, the circular path may describe less than a full circle to leave a small "hinge" in the lid, thereby holding the lid to the receptacle and preventing the lid from falling out.

In some embodiments, the fixed or adjustable perforator may be spring loaded as a means to prevent damage to the perforator or dispenser in the event frozen content blocks perforation of the needle. The dispenser may detect the spring-loaded pressure when obstructed by the receptacle or its frozen contents. Spring loading and release may also be used to initiate a sequenced event involving the melting and dilution process, such as triggering or terminating heat supply, agitation, or diluent. In some embodiments, a needle may be attached to the flexible tube to provide a channel that may move and adjust with movement, for example, to accommodate planned agitation of the receptacle as a means for enhancing liquefaction of the frozen contents.

In some embodiments, the perforator is constructed of a heat stable polymer. In other embodiments, the perforator is constructed of one or more metals (e.g., stainless steel or aluminum). In some embodiments, regardless of the material of construction, the perforator resists physical degradation when exposed to temperatures between about-40 ° F and about 300 ° F. In other embodiments, the perforator resists physical degradation when exposed to temperatures between about 0 ° F and about 250 ° F. The characteristics of the embodiments of the perforator used on the outlet side of the dispenser and the characteristics of the embodiments of the perforator used on the inlet side of the dispenser are equally applicable to each other.

As shown in fig. 10A-10E, the dispensing or venting hole or bleed of the needle may be located at its point 1001 (as in 1000A), or elsewhere and axially aligned as in fig. 10A, or to the side 1004 as in fig. 10C and 10D, but in fluid communication with the

axial passageways

1005, 1006, such that liquid injected into the receptacle may be directed away from the center of the frozen liquid contents, possibly helping to move or rotate the frozen liquid contents relative to the side walls of the receptacle. Considerations regarding pin strength and durability may be addressed using a cross 1003 pin configuration 1000B as in fig. 10B. Example 10E may be used to first easily pierce the closed end of the receptacle with the tip 1007 and then abut the frozen liquid contents with the dome-shaped end 1008 without piercing while the melted/diluted liquid is expelled from the side holes 1009 of the needle, where those side holes are located near the inner surface of the closed end of the receptacle. The rotating helical section of the piercing needle may be used like an archimedes pump to direct the flow of the outgoing fluid.

Fig. 4D shows one embodiment of a cartridge or other device capable of holding a variety of receptacle sizes and shapes to allow a wide variety of beverages, soups, etc. to be used with the melting apparatus.

Fig. 5 illustrates a range of receptacle sizes and shapes that can be accommodated by a cartridge of a machine (e.g., cartridge 430 of fig. 4A). With different cartridges, each interchangeable with the original, but having different hole sizes and shapes, the brewer can accommodate an unlimited number of different receptacles. One skilled in the art will recognize that in some embodiments, the process of filling, melting, and diluting the frozen liquid contents may generally be unaffected by the size or shape of the receptacle.

The melting system may use any source of heat, motion, or combination thereof to accelerate liquefaction of the frozen liquid content. Accordingly, the melting system may include various heat sources and/or motions. Electromagnetic radiation (e.g., radio frequency energy, microwave energy, etc.), heated coils, hot air, hot plates, heated liquid pools, steam, chemical reactions, etc., are all examples of possible heat sources that may accelerate the rate of melting. Additionally, motion may be introduced using a centrifuge. The movement may be one or more of: rotating, rocking, swirling, rotating or linear reciprocation, including agitation back and forth and/or up and down (e.g., shaking), or a vibrating platform or the like, as a means of increasing the rate of melting. In another embodiment, the perforation and pressure caused by the injected liquid may cause the frozen liquid contents within the receptacle to rotate and move to create the desired environment for liquefaction. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that various other physical principles and mechanisms of action may therefore be used to accelerate liquefaction. As described herein, machine-based methods, either manual or automated (electronic) may be used to accelerate melting of frozen liquid contents and the use of various forms of motion, electrical frequency/electromagnetic energy, and/or elevated temperatures of heating. In such examples, the piercing needles may be given a range of motion such that they may effect or complement a series of motions. For example, in a centrifuge system, the needle may rotate with the receptacle.

The system 400 includes internal electronic components, memory and appropriate controls, and has programmed instructions for automatically producing the desired food and/or beverage. The system 400 may be instructed by the user via a display or other known means, such as wireless instructions from a handheld device.

The finished food or beverage supply may be made from the frozen liquid content of the receptacle at a temperature desired by the consumer and via a process suitable for direct consumption by the consumer. In one embodiment, the frozen liquid content is melted and diluted with a cold or ambient temperature liquid so that the frozen liquid content melts and minimally heats up for beverages that are typically cold consumed, such as juices, iced coffee, soda, and the like.

In a particular example, as shown in fig. 11, a receptacle having tapered sides 520 is pierced at the top and bottom of the receptacle and injected into the ambient temperature liquid via a top piercing needle 1000D. As liquid is injected into the receptacle, the machine-based device rotates, applies a twisting force, and engages the receptacle such that liquid 1101 in the receptacle flows out of the outlet penetration of the receptacle formed by the bottom piercing needle 1000B. Thus, the dilution liquid may interact with the frozen liquid content 190 within the receiver for a longer duration and provide more heat exchange between the frozen content and the dilution liquid. The outflow of liquid can be effectively controlled by the inflow of water (which pushes water out when the cartridge approaches or reaches capacity) or by reducing or stopping the agitation motion. Optionally, a bottom piercing needle 1000B causes the frozen liquid content to exit the bottom of the receptacle.

In some implementations of the embodiment shown in fig. 11, the dispensing system includes a motor or other known mechanism to rotate the receptacle 520 about an axis of rotation. In cooperation with the radius and geometry of the receptacle, the rotational motion imparted to the liquid by rotation about the axis overcomes the normal pull of gravity on the liquid, moving the liquid along the sides of the receptacle and away from the bottom of the receptacle 1101. The puncture hole formed by the needle 1000B is positioned in the empty space created when the liquid is moved.

In some embodiments, the inertia of the spinning liquid holds the liquid against the side walls of the receptacle until new liquid is added to the receptacle to force out the desired product or the spinning speed is reduced. In other words, the motion imparted to the receiver and/or the frozen liquid content increases the flow path followed by the liquid from the liquid inlet (via top piercing needle 1000D) to the liquid outlet (via bottom piercing needle 1000B). Without the applied motion, the injected liquid tends to follow a direct path from the injection to the outlet; under the applied motion, the injected liquid travels along the outer wall of the receptacle to the outlet. In such embodiments, the flow rate of liquid into the receptacle controls, in part, the amount of time the molten frozen contents are in the receptacle. This residence time affects the temperature exchange between the frozen contents and the dilution liquid and ultimately the temperature of the outflowing liquid product. In some embodiments, the flow rate and pressure of the dilution liquid supplied into the receptacle affects the amount of liquid pushed through the outlet perforations by overcoming the displacement force applied by the rotational motion applied to the receptacle for a clean, uniform flow out of the receptacle. In some embodiments, the motor or other mechanism for driving the receptacle in rotation is positioned such that it is not an obstacle to the liquid being supplied or discharged. For example, a belt or gear system or the like is used to drive the receiver about an axis without the need to position a motor or other mechanism above or below the receiver.

Other examples of agitation/applied motion are described herein and are within the scope of the present invention. These other types of agitation also increase the residence time of the liquid in the receptacle and likewise increase the flow path of the liquid through the receptacle from the liquid inlet to the liquid/product outlet. Advantageously, the liquid injected into the receptacle continues to flow within the receptacle during agitation, and so on for a longer period of time relative to the absence of agitation. This improves heat transfer between the injected liquid and the frozen contents.

In embodiments where the frozen liquid content is displaced away from the bottom of the receiver, this displacement may be accomplished by a dome-shaped needle 1000E. In some embodiments, displacement by a dome-shaped needle is combined with the flipping of the dome (bi-stable or otherwise) as described above. In this case, the dome adopts a new stable position that curves inwardly towards the interior of the receptacle and keeps the frozen contents away from the bottom of the receptacle. This occurs even if the dome-shaped needle 1000E is not held in contact with the receptacle. In some embodiments, the dome-shaped needle 1000E pushes against the bottom of the receptacle and produces a small displacement by bending or plastic deformation of the receptacle material. In some embodiments, hysteresis occurs to perforate the bottom of the receptacle with a needle. This can occur simply by applying sufficient force to the needle to cause the domed end to break the closed end.

In some embodiments, the auxiliary piercing head 1007, as shown in fig. 10E, emerges from the dome-shaped needle 1000E. The piercing head easily creates an initial piercing that more easily expands through the dome-shaped surface 1008 of the needle, allowing the needle to move further into the receptacle and expand the space around the periphery of the frozen liquid contents. In some embodiments, the exposure of the piercing head 1007 of the needle is driven by a pneumatic cylinder. In some embodiments, this movement creates a slight tear in the closed end of the receptacle, such that the dome-shaped end 1008 can expand the tear and easily pass through. At the same time, the piercing head 1007 may be immediately withdrawn into the needle body.

In some embodiments, the components of the machine-based system for dilution may include a liquid reservoir or a plurality of liquid reservoirs. In some embodiments, the machine-based system may be connected to a plumbing system that dispenses the diluent from a larger liquid reservoir or from an appropriate plumbing system (e.g., a filtered water supply connected in the water supply of the building). The dilution liquid may be water, however, any liquid (including carbonated liquids, dairy liquids, or combinations thereof, including any nutritional or non-nutritional liquid suitable for human consumption) may be used to dilute the frozen liquid contents into the desired composition. In some embodiments, the liquid for dilution may be carbonated to produce a soft drink, and the machine-based system may include a carbonation component. In some embodiments, the dilution liquid may be raised to a temperature or pressurized so as to melt the frozen liquid contents with room temperature or a cooling fluid to make an iced or iced beverage. In some examples, the appliance includes a refrigerated compartment for storing the receptacle, which can automatically load the receptacle to the location where the beverage is to be produced without human interaction with the receptacle. The foregoing examples may be combined with a user interface (i.e., a human-machine interface) on the machine to load the desired receiver in a vending application.

In some embodiments for producing a desired product requiring dilution, the diluent is heated and/or allowed to flow in order to produce a consumable liquid product of a desired flavor, potency, volume, temperature, and texture from frozen liquid content in a timely manner. In some embodiments, the dilution component may also act as a melting component. In some embodiments, the diluent is heated and/or allowed to flow such that it supplements any melting components (e.g., electric heaters) in a timely manner to produce a consumable liquid product having desired characteristics.

In some embodiments, the water is heated to steam within the dispenser and used as a means of externally heating the receiver or exit path for the melted/diluted fluid. In some embodiments, the external heating may be used at different levels (amounts) or locations based on different possible targets. For example, these goals may include, but are not limited to: (a) melting only the outer layer of the frozen liquid contents to allow it to be more easily displaced away from the closed end of the receptacle; (b) partially melting a majority of the frozen liquid content as a supplement to the low temperature water used for melting/dilution, particularly for juices and other beverages that require lower temperature end products; (c) completely melting the frozen liquid content as a means of dispensing undiluted molten liquid from the receiver; (d) upon exiting the receiver as the melted/diluted beverage flows through the outlet channel to the drinking or mug or other container, assisting in warming the melted/diluted beverage to heat the final beverage to a more desirable temperature; (e) one of the needles used to perforate the receiver is heated to facilitate some ease of perforation into the frozen liquid content. In some embodiments, the steam used for these purposes may be replaced with hot air or some other heated gas (generated internally in the dispenser body or externally using electricity or some combustible fuel such as natural gas). The use of steam or hot gas may provide a higher level of control in the heating/melting of frozen liquid contents, which may be particularly important when cold beverage or food products are required as end-consumer products. The process also envisages a means for carefully metering/controlling the amount of steam or hot gas added to the total energy balance.

In some embodiments, the receptacle loaded into the dispenser is heated prior to piercing the bottom of the receptacle. This allows the chilled liquid content to remain in contact with the bottom and side walls of the receiver to enhance the transfer of heat to the chilled liquid content. In such embodiments, the bottom of the receptacle is pierced after a selected time has elapsed, or after the receptacle reaches a selected temperature. The additional delay to the closed end/bottom perforation of the receiver is intended to allow a quantity of the melting/diluting fluid to enter the receiver and sufficiently surround the frozen contents to fill any air gap between the sidewall and displaced frozen contents before the exit perforation is created. Doing so allows continuing to transfer heat efficiently from the receptacle into the liquid and frozen contents without the insulating effect of air gaps.

In one embodiment, as shown in fig. 13A, a filterless receiver 1310 with a frozen liquid content 1320 and a headspace 1306 is placed in a support tray 1302 and a heatable receiver 1301 of a dispenser designed to receive the receiver such that the side walls of the receiver 1310 are in intimate contact with the walls of the receiver 1301 and the flange of the receiver is supported by the tray 1302. When the cover 1303 of the dispenser is closed by the user, the dispenser will capture and seat the receiver in the mating tray 1302 and receiver 1301. The receiver may be heated using any of the techniques disclosed herein, and the intimate contact between the receiver wall and the receiver side wall allows the dispenser to effectively heat the contents of the receiver.

Referring to fig. 13B, during closing of the receiver cover 1303, one or more spring-loaded supply needles 1304 perforate the top cover of the receiver and one or more drain needles 1200 perforate the bottom of the receiver. The actuation of the needle can be powered by a manual force of the user closing a receiver of the dispenser, or alternatively one or both of these actions can be accomplished by a controlled actuator. As shown in fig. 13B, these needles may also be made compliant (compliant) by means of a spring mechanism that limits the force applied when the needle attempts to perforate the frozen contents 1320.

Referring to fig. 10E, in some embodiments, a blunt tip 1008 on the discharge needle 1000E displaces the chilled liquid content of the receiver away from the closed bottom of the receiver and into a tapered headspace where it is supported by the same discharge needle with a blunt tip. In one embodiment, the blunt tip drain needle utilizes a T-shaped channel 1009 with an opening in the sidewall of the needle closer to the bottom of the receiver to allow double drain without interference from the supported frozen liquid content, thereby emptying/draining the receiver. In various embodiments, the outlet needle is part of an assembly as shown in fig. 12A and 12B. The needle assembly is anchored by a portion of the dispenser frame 1201 and includes a perforator 1203, a compression spring 1202, a dome-shaped needle housing 1204, and a fluid collection tray 1205. When the needle assembly 1200 is first piercing the closed end of the receptacle, the perforator 1203 abuts the needle housing 1204 and seals it to prevent fluid from exiting the receptacle. Next, the perforator 1203 is pushed up by the spring 1202, opening a channel inside the needle housing 1204, allowing fluid to exit the receptacle and be collected by the tray 1205 and then dispensed into the user's cup.

At the same time, the sharp tip of the spring-loaded supply needle 1304 perforates the cover of the receptacle and seats against the most recently displaced frozen content 1320, where they may stop further perforation due to interference between the needle tip and the top surface of the frozen liquid content. The heatable receiver 1301 of the dispenser controllably warms and melts the frozen liquid content of the receiver, thereby softening the recently repositioned frozen liquid content within the receiver, which is ready for additional melting and/or dilution. In some embodiments, the measured liquid portion is injected into the receiver while the needle is inserted to help transfer heat from the receiver through gaps created when frozen contents are displaced away from the receiver bottom (and potentially the sidewalls) to speed up the melting process.

In some embodiments, the injection of liquid into the receiver is delayed until the supply needle moves further into the frozen liquid content of the receiver under the influence of the spring pressure behind it as the frozen liquid content softens due to heating. This action further melts and/or dilutes the frozen liquid contents. In some embodiments, the contents are now controllably flowed out of the double T-shaped channel 1009 of the blunt discharge needle 1000E. In other embodiments, the discharge needle is closed along its flow path as shown in fig. 12A, thereby preventing discharge of the contents until the supply needle reaches a selected deployment depth as shown in fig. 13C. Likewise, the injection of liquid is delayed to prevent the receiver from rupturing and/or spilling.

As the dispenser continues to melt and dilute the frozen liquid content, the supply needle is fully extended by the spring action to its fully deployed length as shown in fig. 13D, which does not contact the bottom of the receiver. The supply needle may supply fluid within a range of temperatures and volumes as required for food or beverage in the receptacle. In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 10C and 10D, the

needles

1000C, 1000D have one or two "L" shaped internal channels with a discharge orifice that can direct incoming fluid somewhat tangentially to the side wall of the receptacle. This geometry is intended to controllably agitate the frozen liquid contents of the receptacle to provide better mixing, cleaner used cups, and to accelerate melting by such mechanical agitation. This agitation in the stationary receptacle may be rotation in any direction or tumbling in a constantly changing turbulent action as designed by the outlet of the needle and the flow control valve of the dispenser. Additionally, in some embodiments, liquid is supplied to the supply needle in an alternating manner so as to introduce a back-and-forth motion, a rotational motion, or other turbulent action. Such liquid supply may be achieved by using a multi-way valve controlled by the distributor system. Still other embodiments include a supply needle (e.g., as described elsewhere herein) having a cruciform cross-sectional shape that engages the top of the frozen liquid contents. The supply needle is electrically powered and directly agitates the frozen liquid contents within the receptacle.

Optionally, the locking mechanism keeps the spring compressed until a certain criterion is met, e.g. a certain amount of heat has been applied to the receptacle in order to soften and liquefy the frozen content sufficiently that the needle will perforate the content. In yet another embodiment, heat in the form of gas, liquid or vapor is supplied through the supply needle upon initial deployment. The supply of gas, liquid or vapor is continued until the needle is fully extended or until other criteria are met.

In some embodiments, the variation of the melting component or components and the dilution component or components is programmable and adjustable to produce a wider range of characteristics for producing beverages and liquid foods. For example, reducing the temperature of pressurized liquid for dilution will reduce the temperature of consumable liquid products produced by machine-based systems and devices.

In one specific exemplary embodiment, for illustrative purposes only, a frozen 1 ounce coffee extract having a TDS of 12 may be packaged in a receptacle and contained by a machine-based system that accelerates the melting of the frozen liquid content by delivering heated water to the receptacle, thereby melting and diluting its content with 7 ounces of 200 degrees of water to produce a single 8 ounce hot coffee beverage serving having a TDS of 1.5 at the desired temperature. In some embodiments, other metering techniques may be used instead of TDS, such as BRIX. Alternatively, with an adjustable dilution setting, the frozen coffee extract may be melted and diluted with only 1 ounce of water to produce a 2 ounce espresso-type beverage having a desired temperature with a TDS of about 6. Furthermore, the receptacle may only be heated so that the frozen extract hardly melts, so that it can be added to a liquid provided by the consumer, for example milk for cooling or freezing latte or other frozen beverages like fruit juices, frozen coffee or tea.

In some embodiments, variables (e.g., temperature, volume, shape, size, proportions, etc.) defining the frozen liquid content may also be adjusted during manufacture of the liquid for frozen liquid content to better facilitate preparation of a desired food or beverage by a machine-based system with limited machine setup/control. For example, freezing a larger volume of a lower potency fluid as the basis for freezing the liquid content in a given receptacle may be used to produce a lower temperature beverage, all other conditions being the same.

As part of the techniques described herein, it is also contemplated that the machine-based system includes sensor technology that can automatically adjust the settings of the melting and/or diluting components to produce the desired beverage or liquid food product. The perforation properties may also be programmable or automatically established using sensor technology that helps to identify the receiver type, size, contents, bottom location, and other properties. The sensor technology can also be used to prevent certain settings from being applied. For example, a frozen soup concentrate receptacle may prevent a consumer from implementing settings that would result in excessive dilution and wasted product. As another example, a frozen soup concentrate receiver may prevent a consumer from implementing settings that would overheat, for example, an orange juice concentrate. In some embodiments, the sensor technology helps to produce the desired product and eliminates human error. In some embodiments, the sensor method is implemented using a specific geometry formed in the receiver. For example, as shown in fig. 8 and 9, a notch of a particular length may be physically or optically sensed by the dispensing machine, and this measurement is used to convey information about the contents of the receptacle, allowing the dispensing machine to automatically select the correct melting/dilution process. Physical modification of the receptacle shape as illustrated in fig. 8 and 9 may also assist in mixing the dilution liquid injected into the receptacle, thereby helping to accelerate liquefaction of the frozen liquid contents.

In some embodiments, the melting and/or dilution control may be established or programmable using bar code instructions or other visual data systems on the receiver to achieve a product that meets the consumer's personal preferences. The machine-based system may use appropriate sensors to detect and read bar codes, data symbols, QR codes, patterns, external markers, RFID tags, magnetic strips, or other machine-readable tags. In some embodiments, at least one criterion of receiver or frozen liquid content establishes or prevents setup of an adapted machine-based system to produce a desired product. These criteria may include, but are not limited to, weight, color, shape, structure, and temperature. In some embodiments, the machine-based system may include a thermocouple to detect the temperature of the frozen liquid contents and/or its receiver and automatically adjust its settings to produce a beverage of a desired flavor, intensity, volume, temperature, and texture. This may include disabling the dilution function and engaging a melting component that does not dispense liquid. In addition, the consumer may enter precise desired characteristics, such as temperature or efficacy, and the machine-based system may use this in conjunction with available sensor technology to achieve the desired parameters.

Additionally, machine-based systems may be designed to produce desired beverages and liquid comestibles from a variety of receiver styles, receiver sizes, and frozen liquid contents. In some embodiments, the machine-based system may include mechanical functionality to differentiate controls and settings used to produce the beverage.

Further, machine-based systems may include the mechanical functions necessary to produce a product for different receiver and chilled liquid content types. In some embodiments, the frozen liquid content may be crushed or macerated by a machine-based system to increase the surface area of the frozen liquid content, thereby increasing the rate of melting. The mechanical function may be initiated manually by the consumer or automatically by a sensor trigger. For example, it has been considered herein that detaching the receiver wall from the frozen liquid content may create problems and make it difficult to pierce the receiver where it comes into contact with the frozen liquid content. In some embodiments, the machine may identify a particular freeze receiver type by distinguishing the freeze receiver from other freeze receivers using sensed criteria (e.g., weight or temperature), and mechanically adjust the receiver so that it can be perforated at a particular location where no frozen liquid content is in contact with the receiver. This may include flipping the receptacle upside down.

In some embodiments, the machine-based system melts and dilutes the frozen liquid content by flowing or pushing a specific amount of liquid (which may be heated and pressurized) through the receiver to completely melt and dilute the frozen liquid content to a desired flavor, intensity, volume, temperature, and texture. In connection with this embodiment, the machine-based system may include additional melting components, such as a receiver heater, or heated piercing needles, etc., to help produce the desired consumable liquid that the consumer does not wish to dilute. In some embodiments, the flowing liquid melts the entire frozen liquid content to eliminate waste, and flushes the receiver of any residue or contaminants as part of the melting or dilution process, so that the receiver of homogenous material is free of abrasives, residues, or filters, and thus converted to a readily recyclable form. In some embodiments, specifically for recovery, the manufacturer may set forth a deposit requirement for each receiver to encourage return of the receiver to the point of sale for refund.

In some embodiments, the frozen food or beverage liquid is packaged to handle flowing dilution liquid without spillage. Again, this particular apparatus may involve freezing the food or beverage liquid into a particular geometry, structure and proportions to provide the necessary flow path through the receptacle to its outlet.

For clarity, exemplary embodiments of various aspects of the system have been described with respect to the type and design of the receptacle, the nature of the frozen liquid content, the means for melting and/or diluting the frozen liquid content, and the delivery mechanism applied to the resulting liquid to produce a timely consumable food or beverage consistent with a desired flavor, potency, volume, temperature, and texture. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these diverse choices of receiver type, morphology and characteristics of the frozen liquid content, mechanism for melting and/or diluting the frozen liquid content, and means for delivering the liquefied content can be combined in many different ways to produce a pleasing end product with specific characteristics that can be conveniently enjoyed by the consumer.

As is apparent from the above description, embodiments of the present invention provide a single-chamber filter-less mixing vessel containing frozen liquid contents that allow for the production of a variety of food and beverage products. The receptacle is maintained in a sealed environment (optionally including an oxygen barrier) that preserves the final product or its concentrated form in a frozen state until the user decides to produce the product. In addition, the receiver maintains a substantially sealed mixing chamber even after being perforated by one or more inlets or outlets, wherein the product is produced by mixing one or more fluids with the frozen liquid content while also providing a controlled fluid outlet. When inserted into any of the dispenser embodiments described herein or other known single-serve beverage maker/brewing systems, the receptacle functions as a filter-less single-chamber mixing vessel by receiving a melting and/or diluting liquid (e.g., water) that melts and combines with the frozen liquid content to produce the desired product. Such use of the embodiments of the receptacle described herein enables an existing beverage maker/brewing system to be used as a dispenser without modification to the system, allowing a user the flexibility to use his or her existing system as a dispenser or brewer (brewer).

In some embodiments, the dispenser manipulates the heating and agitation of the dilution liquid and/or the timing, sequence, amount, and manner of addition of the dilution liquid to the receiver and/or the frozen liquid content to control the melting and/or thawing of the frozen liquid content. Optionally, the dispenser manipulates the temperature of the dilution liquid added to the receiver and/or the final product. In some embodiments, the dispenser transitions at least a portion of the frozen liquid content from the freezing stage to a liquid phase while reducing or preventing the transition of the liquid phase and/or solid phase to a gas phase. For example, the dispenser may expose the receiver and/or the chilled liquid content to a non-diluting heat source (i.e., a heat source that is different from the heat source that injects liquid into the interior of the receiver that dilutes any melted chilled liquid content) at a rate or flow rate that melts the chilled liquid content but does not cause the resulting liquid to boil. Similarly, the dispenser may control the total amount of undiluted heat supplied to the receiver and/or chilled liquid contents during a multi-step food or beverage production process in order to achieve an intermediate average temperature of the contents. When the dispenser then supplies a predetermined amount of dilution liquid at a known temperature to the interior of the receptacle, the dilution liquid and contents combine to form a product of a desired temperature and volume.

As described herein, embodiments of the dispenser may determine certain characteristics of the receiver, the frozen liquid content, and/or the final intended food or beverage product based on the machine-readable label. As such, as described herein, embodiments of the dispenser include a sensor to collect data regarding the current state of the receiver and/or the contents therein. Still further, the dispenser may contain a sensor to determine the temperature of the heated and/or ambient dilution liquid. Based on the characteristics collected from the machine-readable label and the available sensor information, the dispenser adjusts the heating, agitation, and dilution actions described herein to achieve the desired heating profile and end product with the desired characteristics. For example, while supplying heat and agitation to the receiver, the dispenser may monitor the temperature of the receiver and adjust the amount of heat supplied to ensure that the temperature of the receiver remains below a predetermined value (e.g., below boiling or below a temperature at which the quality of the contents may degrade). In yet another example, the dispenser may supply heat in an intermittent manner with or without agitation, with a pause in the heating process to allow the entire contents of the receptacle to equilibrate with or without agitation during the pause. This is done to hopefully improve the accuracy of the temperature readings with respect to the entire receiver contents and to improve the likelihood of "hot spots" being generated in the receiver. Likewise, the dispenser may control the frequency of agitation (e.g., adjust the speed of vibration, reciprocation, etc.) depending on the characteristics of the receptacle, the frozen liquid content, and/or the final desired food or beverage product.

In addition to monitoring the temperature of the receiver and/or the entire contents of the receiver, the dispenser may also monitor the pressure inside the receiver. For example, the dispenser may be perforated with a needle having a lumen in fluid communication with the pressure sensor for the receiver prior to applying heat to the receiver. Then, during the heating step, the dispenser may adjust the rate of heat applied to the receiver based on detecting an increase in pressure within the receiver. In an alternative example, the distributor may place the transducer (e.g., a strain gauge or displacement gauge) in contact with a portion of the exterior of the receiver. A transducer, such as a capacitive displacement sensor, may detect a pressure increase within the receiver based on the portion of the receiver that bulges during heating.

For example, the dispenser may heat the entire contents of the receiver to a relatively cool average temperature that maintains the potential for the formation of partially melted "mush" based on sensed information identifying that the receiver contains high TDS orange juice freezer liquid contents. The dispenser may then add the appropriate amount of ambient temperature dilution liquid to produce the appropriate strength of cooled orange juice. In this example, the dispenser softens the frozen liquid content to allow the content and dilution liquid to mix easily, but the dispenser does not overheat the content. The method utilizes the relatively low freezing point of the high TDS content to provide a cooling effect to the incoming ambient dilution liquid. Any or all of the steps of the process may include agitation.

In certain embodiments, sufficient open space remains within the mixing chamber of the receptacle to allow the frozen liquid contents to be displaced into the open space of the chamber so as not to interfere with the liquid inlet and outlet (e.g., needles) and/or the liquid entering and exiting. In some embodiments, the chilled liquid content in the receiver comprises less than half of the total volume of the mixing chamber of the receiver. In other embodiments, the chilled liquid content comprises more than half of the total volume of the mixing chamber.

As described above, in certain embodiments, the frozen liquid content is detached from the bottom of the receptacle under the action of the needle. The tapered sidewall of the receptacle facilitates release of the frozen liquid content from the bottom portion of the receptacle. The tapered sidewall also provides a flow path around the frozen liquid content after the content has been displaced into the previously referred to empty space of the receptacle. Another factor that affects the amount of force required to disengage the frozen liquid contents is the size of the frozen liquid contents themselves. A relatively small frozen liquid content will contact a relatively small inner surface area of the chamber, thereby reducing the amount of force required to disengage the content relative to a larger frozen liquid content.

Controlling the size of the frozen liquid contents imparts additional benefits. For example, by maintaining the frozen liquid content size within a selected range or below a particular threshold, embodiments of the present invention ensure that the frozen liquid content is completely melted before the entire volume of dilution liquid has passed through the receiver. In such embodiments, the fluid passing through the receiver after the chilled liquid content has melted cleans the interior of the receiver and the product outlet flow path clean from residue. Doing so both improves recyclability of the receiver and reduces fouling of the product outlet flow path. In addition, by maintaining the size of the frozen liquid content within a certain range or below a certain threshold, it can be ensured that the final product reaches the appropriate temperature range for the particular product.

At the same time, controlling the concentration of the frozen liquid content (e.g., as measured by TDS and/or Brix) allows one to ensure proper final product strength, taking into account the size of the frozen liquid content and the amount of dilution liquid used. For the same end product, using the same dilution and melting liquids, a lower concentration of the relatively larger frozen liquid content is required compared to the relatively smaller frozen liquid. The desired final product consistency also determines the consistency of the frozen liquid content, for example, a 2 ounce espresso coffee with a final TDS value of 6 would require a more concentrated frozen liquid content than an 8 ounce coffee with a final TDS value of 1.25. Also, in some embodiments, the concentration of the frozen liquid content is sufficiently high such that the size of the frozen liquid content can be small enough to allow an outlet needle from a dispenser or known brewer to pass through the frozen liquid content, thereby enabling the needle to enter the open space above the frozen liquid content without interference from the content. Accordingly, certain embodiments of the receptacles disclosed herein have a size and shape that fits into known single serving brewing systems having a known outlet needle perforation depth. Since these dimensions are known, these examples have the following concentrations of frozen liquid content: which allows the contents to contact substantially the entire end layer of the receptacle while having a content height less than the penetration depth of the needle. In this way, embodiments of the present invention are customized for known single serving brewing systems based on their known dimensions and characteristics.

As mentioned above, certain embodiments described herein include a receptacle having a frozen liquid content disposed within a receptacle cavity, the frozen liquid content being in contact with a bottom (the end layer) of the receptacle. In these embodiments, the bottom of the receptacle from the dispenser or brewing machine is perforated and the frozen liquid content is lifted into additional unoccupied space within the receptacle. In order for the frozen liquid content to be displaced by the needle, the frozen liquid content must have sufficient stiffness (at the temperature when placed in the dispenser/brewer) to prevent the needle from becoming embedded in the frozen liquid content. If the needle is embedded in the frozen liquid content, the content is not displaced from the bottom layer of the receiver and the outlet flow path for the final product formed by mixing the frozen liquid content and the incoming liquid is blocked. Similarly, if the frozen liquid content bends at the point of impact of the needle, the frozen liquid content will not release from the inner walls of the receiver chamber. This will also result in obstruction of the outlet flow path. Thus, in certain embodiments of the invention, the frozen liquid content is sufficiently hard so that when a force is applied thereto with a dispenser needle (e.g., a hollow cylindrical needle having an outer diameter of about 2.5mm with a diagonal pointed section (diagonalized pointed section) of about 4mm length), the frozen liquid content detaches from the inner surface of the receptacle, rather than the needle embedding the content or the content deflecting away from the needle but not detaching. The exemplary dimensions of the needles given above are not limiting as the frozen liquid content of these embodiments works with other needle sizes, including those with larger or smaller holes and those with non-cylindrical cross-sections.

It is believed that a hardness level of between about 1 and about 6 mohs hardness (between about 0 ° F and about 32 ° F) provides sufficient hardness to dislodge the inner surface of the receptacle described herein rather than experiencing the above-mentioned undesirable effects. Accordingly, certain embodiments of the present invention have a hardness on the mohs scale of between about 1 and 5 between about 0 ° F and about 32 ° F. Other embodiments of the present invention have a hardness of between about 1 and 4 on the mohs scale of between about 0 ° F and about 32 ° F. Still other embodiments of the present invention have a hardness on the mohs scale of between about 1 and 3 between about 0 ° F and about 32 ° F. Still other embodiments of the present invention have a hardness on the mohs scale of between about 1 and 2 between 0 ° F and about 32 ° F. Certain embodiments of the present invention have a hardness on the mohs scale of between about 0.5 and 1.5 between about 0 ° F and about 32 ° F. Other embodiments of the present invention have a hardness on the mohs scale of between about 1.5 and 2.5 between 0 ° F and about 32 ° F. Still further embodiments of the present invention have a hardness on the mohs scale of between about 0.75 and 1.25 between about 0 ° F and about 32 ° F. In some embodiments, the hardness of the frozen liquid content is enhanced by the addition of food grade hardening agents, such as thickeners, stabilizers, and emulsifiers. Other examples include guar gum, agar, alginates, carrageenan, gum arabic, locust bean gum, pectin, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, various starches, and xanthan gum.

In certain embodiments, the chilled liquid content will have a concentration (i.e., relatively high% TDS): which is such that the contents are not hard enough to be displaced by the dispenser or brewer needle due to freezing point depression caused by high sugar levels, for example. Instead, the needle will be embedded in the contents, the contents will clog the needle, or the contents will flex away from the needle without becoming dislodged from the interior walls of the receptacle chamber. Fig. 14A shows a side cross-sectional view of a receiver 1400 with an inner platform 1405. Platform 1405 is located between end layer 1410 of receiver 1400 and chilled liquid content 1415. In fig. 14A, the platform 1405 is shown spaced apart from the end layer 1410 and the frozen liquid content 1415. In some embodiments, platform 1405 sits on end layer 1410 in contact with end layer 1410, and chilled liquid content 1415 is in contact with platform 1405, and optionally, a portion of end layer 1410. The platform may also be referred to herein as a "platform," pusher, "" shifted disk, "or simply a" disk.

Fig. 14B shows a side cross-sectional view of receiver 1400 with inner platform 1405 displaced away from end layer 1410 and supporting detached frozen liquid content 1415. As shown, the dispenser/brewer needle 1420 is perforated to the end layer 1410, but not the platform 1405. Instead, needle 1420 contacts platform 1405 and disengages the frozen liquid content from the inner surface of receiver 1400. Thus, the platform 1405 allows the frozen liquid content to be displaced by the needle, otherwise the frozen liquid content itself may lack sufficient stiffness to be displaced by the needle. The various platforms described herein may also be used with frozen liquid contents that are sufficiently rigid by themselves to be displaced by contact with the needle. The use of a platform inside the receiver with various frozen liquid contents provides a uniform displacement action. Platform 1405 is optionally made of the same material as receiver 1400 to maintain recyclability of the receiver (e.g., aluminum), but it may also be made of a different material than the receiver to enhance its adaptability for food contact or cost. Platform 1405 may be made stiffer than end layers 1410 and/or platform 1405 may be made of a thicker material than end layers 1410 by a stiffening process known in the art. The platform may be made of a material known to have a higher or lower coefficient of friction than the receiver material to assist in creating a bypass around or through which the flow passes.

Fig. 14A and 14B show the platform 1405 as a flat disk. However, other embodiments include those shown in fig. 14C and 14D. Figure 14C shows platform 1430 with scalloped perimeter 1435 and figure 14D shows scalloped platform 1440 with overflow tube 1445. When the platform is lifted by a distributor needle (e.g., as in needle 1420 of fig. 14B) or compressed gas or liquid, the overflow tube 1445 forms a channel between the space above the frozen liquid content disposed on the platform 1440 and the space created below the platform. Further details describing the overflow tube 1445 are provided below. Still other embodiments include a platform that is slightly concave or convex (relative to the end layers), frustoconical, corrugated, has stamped windings, or has other non-flat profiles. Such embodiments reduce the likelihood of the platform adhering to the end layer and/or reduce the likelihood of the platform acting as a barrier to the flow of liquid through the outlet formed in the end layer. The

stages

1430 and 1440 may be flat or have any other non-flat profile. The

platforms

1430 and 1440 may have smooth edges or scalloped edges as shown in the figures.

Fig. 15A shows an embodiment of a receiver 1500 having a compound draft angle. The receptacle 1500 has a top flange diameter 1505 of about 2.00 inches, a bottom transition diameter 1510 of about 1.44 inches, and an end layer diameter 1515 of about 1.26 inches. The receptacle 1500 has a height 1520 of about 1.72 inches. The receiver 1500 has sidewalls with compound draft angles with transition points 1525 at about 0.75 inches (1530) from the end layers. Above transition point 1525, draft angle 1535 is about 2.5 degrees, while draft angle 1540 below the transition point is about 8 degrees. The larger draft angle in the lower portion of the sidewall helps to release the frozen liquid content sitting on the end layer of the receptacle. On the other hand, the lower draft angle of the upper section assists in securing the receptacle in the dispenser and/or the receiver of known single serving brewers.

Fig. 15B shows detail a of the receiver 1500 of fig. 15A. This figure shows the curled lip 1545 portion of the flange of the receptacle and the notch 1550 seated below the highest portion of the curled lip 1545. Certain materials, such as aluminum, will maintain sharp edges when machined or stamped. Such edges can pose a safety hazard to users of receivers having such edges. The curled lip 1545 rolls the edge of the flange under the body of the flange, thereby protecting the user from any remaining sharp edges. Notch 1550, on the other hand, allows the lid to be mounted to the flange body and retains the top lid surface below the uppermost portion of curled lip 1545. The specific dimensions described above for receiver 1500 may be varied while maintaining the compound draft angle and still be within the scope of the present invention.

Fig. 16 shows a side cross-sectional view of a receiver 1600 having a platform 1605, the platform 1605 having an overflow tube 1610. Although the platform 1605 is shown as a flat disk, it may have any of the shapes described herein. The receptacle has a flange diameter 1615 of about 2.00 inches and a height 1620 of about 1.72 inches. The receiver 1600 has a sidewall with a compound draft angle with a transition point 1625 occurring at about 0.75 inches (1630) from the end tier. Above transition point 1625, draft angle 1635 is about 2.5 degrees, and below the transition point draft angle 1640 is about 15 degrees. The end layer of receiver 1600 has a stepped portion 1645, stepped portion 1645 conforming to platform 1605 with little space between the outer periphery of platform 1605 and the step. In the illustrated embodiment, the diameter 1650 of the land and step feature is about 1.16 inches. The close fit between the platform 1605 and the step portion 1645 reduces or prevents the liquid contents from settling between the platform 1605 and the end layer 1675 prior to freezing of the contents, increases the amount of force required to detach the frozen liquid contents from the inner surface of the receiver 1600 if settling occurs, and allows the frozen contents to flow into the bottom of the overflow tube 1610 during the melting/dispensing cycle, thereby blocking the intended flow. The close fit between platform 1605 and stepped portion 1645 serves to hold the platform securely in place during liquid filling until the liquid contents are frozen.

In other embodiments (not shown), there is another step area under stage 1605 to create a space between stage 1605 and end layer 1675 that is not occupied by frozen liquid content. This space allows fluid to flow down the overflow tube 1610 and into the space between the platform and the end layer to exit the receptacle through the perforations in the end layer.

In fig. 16, the platform 1605 and the overflow tube 1610 are shown in cross-hatching to distinguish the platform and overflow tube from the end layer (bottom) 1675 of the receiver 1600. The overflow tube 1610 is positioned inboard of a point about 0.50 inches (1655) from the receiver centerline. This point is a common entry point for one or more outflow needles of known single-serving and multi-serving brewers. Thus, when the outlet is perforated against the end layer of the receptacle, the needle will lift the platform 1605 and the frozen liquid contents (not shown) in a manner similar to that described for the embodiment in fig. 14B rather than the needle entering the passage of the overflow tube 1610. The top of the overflow tube 1660 is above a nominal fill line 1665 for frozen liquid contents, the nominal fill line 1665 being about 0.50 inches (1670) from the top surface of the platform. The specific dimensions described above for receiver 1600 may be varied while maintaining the compound draft angle and still be within the scope of the present invention.

Fig. 17 shows a receiver 1700 with a platform 1705 and an overflow 1710; the frozen liquid content 1715 sits on the top surface of the platform 1705. The figure shows the needle 1720 of a dispenser or known single serving brewer that has perforated the end layer 1725 of the receptacle 1700 and raised the platform and frozen liquid contents. The overflow tube 1710 provides an alternative flow path for liquid injected into the receiver 1700 (e.g., through an inlet needle of a perforated top cap (not shown)) in the event that the flow path around the frozen liquid content is blocked or insufficient for the incoming liquid to flow. When the liquid level reaches the top inlet 1730 of the overflow tube 1710, the liquid is directed to the space below the platform 1705 so that it can exit through the needle 1720 rather than excess liquid accumulating inside the receptacle and overflowing outside the mixing chamber of the receptacle 1700. During this process, it must also be prevented that the water introduced into the receptacle via the needle of the perforated cap enters directly into the overflow tube, with the result of destroying its purpose of melting and diluting the frozen contents. In certain embodiments, a needle geometry similar to that shown in fig. 10C or 10D will be effective in directing incoming water away from the overflow tube 1610 and toward the sidewall of the receiver constructively.

Fig. 18 shows a receiver 1800 having a raised circular protrusion 1826 in the end layer (essentially, providing a recess 1825) and the annular platform 1805 shown in a slightly raised position. The platform is designed and dimensioned such that its central circular opening 1806 fits tightly around the raised protrusion 1826 in the receiver during normal liquid filling and handling, such that friction created by the light interference fit between the two components during filling holds the platform in place until the liquid contents freeze. During use, the needle at the bottom of the perforated receptacle disengages the annular platform and helps displace the frozen contents to the second position. This annular shape for the platform serves the secondary function of reducing its weight and allowing the receptacle as a whole to be more easily recycled when the platform is made of a different material than the receptacle. For example, if a High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) platform is used in an aluminum receiver, the recyclability of the entire assembly can be maintained without the need to separate the platform from the receiver if the total percentage of HDPE in the receiver assembly remains below a threshold amount. In this embodiment, the size of the annular opening in the platform may be increased to the edge of the needle punching zone to maximize weight reduction. Alternatively, the tray may be of a hybrid design, for example, a metal gasket shape encapsulated in plastic approved by the FDA for contact with food.

In some embodiments, rather than, or in addition to, an interference fit between the platform and the raised protrusion 1826, the platform may have an interference fit between a circumferential edge of the platform and a sidewall of the receiver. In these embodiments, the platform may be any of the embodiments described herein.

Fig. 19 shows a receiver 1900 having a dome-shaped end layer 1926 and a mating platform 1905, with the raised surface section 1906 of the platform 1905 sized and designed to mate with the outward extension of the dome in the receiver. Prior to insertion into the dispensing machine, or as part of the machine operation, the receptor dome 1926 is intended to be pushed inward where it achieves a new stable position and retains or displaces the frozen contents to a second position having a flow path around its outer surface. The raised surface 1906 of the platform is pushed upward, but does not reverse its position, i.e., does not become concave as viewed from the closed end of the receptacle. Thus, in this embodiment, the platform supports partially frozen or viscous/flexible contents in this elevated position by abutting against the now inwardly protruding receiver dome on the bottom and carrying the frozen contents thereon. Needle perforation from the bottom of the receptacle can assist in the displacement of the platform and frozen contents. And as with the other embodiments, the platform prevents the needle from becoming clogged with partially frozen contents.

Fig. 20A illustrates the operation of the receiver 1900 illustrated in fig. 19. In its initial position, the dome-shaped end layer 1926 is in a convex configuration that conforms to the convex surface of the platform 1905. In its second position, as shown in fig. 20B, the dome-shaped end layer 1926 is in a concave configuration. A portion of the recessed end layer interferes with a stationary (still) protruding portion of the platform 1905 to create a space 1930 between the bottom surface of the platform 1905 and the top surface of the end layer 1926. This interference also creates and maintains a flow path 1935 around frozen contents sitting on top of the platform 1935. Either or both of the end layer and the dome-shaped section of the platform may be bistable.

Fig. 21 shows receiver 2100 with a flat end layer and a flat platform 2106, where platform 2106 supports partially melted frozen contents 2126 and is held in place by bottom needle 2105. This figure clearly shows the flow path 2128 around the frozen contents as the platform is lifted from the end tier. In this particular embodiment, it can be seen that the frozen contents have moved slightly off center of the platform and against the sides of the receptacle. In some embodiments, to prevent the platform from moving out of position, the edge 2127 that is in contact with the end layer is physically attached by a hinge mechanism, such as a small spot weld (e.g., to create a living hinge). This embodiment may also require a keying feature so that the bottom needle always perforates the end layer diametrically opposite the hinge.

In some embodiments, the platform includes ridges to increase the section moment of inertia (section moment of inertia) of the platform, thereby increasing the platform's resistance to deformation. As shown in fig. 22A, one such embodiment 2205 includes a unidirectional spine 2210. Another embodiment 2215, as shown in fig. 22B, includes a crosshatch pattern 2220. Fig. 22C illustrates a platform 2225, the platform 2225 including a sandwich structure 2230, the sandwich structure 2230 having ridges disposed in a vertical orientation to provide increased bending stiffness in all directions. A similar effect can be achieved by laminating materials having anisotropic stiffness. Fig. 22D shows a platform 2235 that includes a radial ridge structure 2240. In some embodiments, the ridge height remains low enough and the ridges are spaced close enough so as not to interlock with the pins contacting the platform.

In still other embodiments, the platform is held above the end tier such that a quantity of frozen contents is between a bottom surface of the platform and a top surface of the end tier. In these embodiments, the distance between the bottom surface of the platform and the top surface of the end layer is kept to a maximum so that a needle or other perforator can pass through the frozen content, contact the platform, and still lift the platform sufficiently to create a flow path around the frozen content.

In other embodiments, the platform includes embossed or slightly raised features that assist in melting and mixing the frozen contents with the molten liquid introduced into the receptacle while rotating or agitating the assembly. In certain embodiments, the perforator is designed to engage the platform to impart a stirring or agitating action. For example, as shown in fig. 23, the top surface of the platform 2300 may have "tabs" 2305 that extend perpendicular to the top surface of the platform. The platform 2300 also has a keying opening 2310 along its central axis. The keying opening 2310 is shown through the entire platform, however, in some embodiments, the opening is closed on the top surface of the platform that is in contact with the frozen liquid content to prevent the frozen content from filling the opening. Fig. 24 shows an underside view of the platform 2300. The perforator 2400 has a keying portion 2405, the keying portion 2405 having a shape complementary to the keying opening 2310 of the platform. Figure 25 shows a keying portion 2405 of the perforator engaging with a keying opening feature 2310 of the platform 2300. This allows the perforator to impart a rotational, reciprocating, or other agitating motion to the platform via the drive mechanism such that the perforator rotates the platform and frozen contents within the receptacle.

Fig. 26 shows a cross-sectional view of the receiver 2600 with chilled liquid content 2605 disposed on a platform 2610 with tabs and keyed openings as described above. The figure shows a perforator 2615 with a keying portion 2620, the keying portion 2620 positioned to perforate an end layer of the receptacle 2600. FIG. 27 shows a cross-sectional view of receiver 2600 with chilled liquid content 2605 disposed on platform 2610. The perforator 2615 has punched the end layer of the receptacle and engaged the platform via the keyed openings of the platform and the keyed portion of the perforator (at 2700). The perforator 2615 has raised the platform 2610 and the frozen liquid content 2605 to create a space between the platform and the end layer and a flow path around the frozen liquid content 2705. The tabs facilitate rotation of the frozen contents 2605 with the receiver as the receiver 2600 and/or the platform 2610 are rotated about its central axis by the perforator 2615. When the frozen contents are released from the platform and the liquid covers the top surface of the platform, the tabs introduce turbulence in the liquid and promote mixing of the still frozen portion of the frozen contents with the liquid in the receptacle. Fig. 28 shows receiver 2600 of fig. 27 after a portion of frozen liquid content 2605 melts, exposing a portion of tabs 2805 embedded in the frozen content.

Figure 29A shows a perforator 2900 with an opening 2905 along the length of the perforator. The opening 2905 communicates with one or more lumens in the perforator (not shown) to allow liquid to exit the receptacle via the opening 2910 at the base of the perforator 2900 that communicates with the lumens. Similarly, figure 29B shows a perforator 2920 with a channel 2925 on the outside of the perforator to allow liquid to exit the receptacle along the channel.

Figure 30A shows a perforator 3000 with a cruciform key lock portion 3005, side openings 3010, and a top opening 3015. The side and

top openings

3010 and 3015 communicate with a central lumen that passes through the perforator to the base of the perforator. Figure 30B shows a perforator 3020 also having a cruciform key lock portion 3025. The perforator 3020 may have a passage 3030 along an outer surface of the perforator. Figure 30C illustrates a tapered perforator 3040 having a larger dimension at its distal end 3045 than at its proximal end 3050. The perforator 3040 also has a cruciform key portion 3055. Such a perforator will create a hole in the end layer of the receptacle that is larger than the proximal portion of the perforator, thereby leaving a flow path around the perforator for liquid to exit the receptacle. Similarly, figure 30D shows a perforator 3060 having a cross-shaped head 3065, the head 3065 having a larger size than the stem 3070. The head 3065 creates a perforation that is larger than the diameter of the rod, creating a flow path for the liquid to exit the receptacle. The cross-shaped portion of the perforator is designed to engage the cross-shaped opening in the platform.

Fig. 31 shows a side cross-sectional view of receiver 3100 having an inner platform 3105 in the form of a cup with raised lip 3107. Raised lip 3107 is shown spaced from the frozen liquid content 3115 and the side walls of the receptacle for illustrative purposes only. In contemplated embodiments, the raised lip 3107 may contact the receiver sidewall or be spaced apart. Additionally, the frozen liquid contents may contact the interior of raised lip 3107. Raised lip 3107 may extend only partially along the sides of the frozen content, or the raised lip may extend to the top or further away of the frozen content. Platform 3105 is located between end layer 3110 of receiver 3100 and the frozen liquid content 3115. Platform 3105 is shown spaced apart from end layer 3110 and frozen liquid content 3115. In some embodiments, the platform 3105 sits on the end layer 3110 and is in contact with the end layer 3110, and the frozen liquid content 3115 is in contact with the platform 3105, and optionally, a portion of the end layer 3110. In some embodiments, the raised lip 3107 has an interference fit with the sidewall of the receiver, while still allowing the platform to be displaced from its position proximate the end layer. In some embodiments, the material of the platform 3105 and/or raised lip 3107 is perforated so as to allow any liquid remaining in the space defined by the platform and raised lip to drain.

Any of the embodiments of the receiver disclosed herein may optionally have a coating on the inner surface of the mixing chamber formed by the receiver to facilitate easy release of the frozen liquid content from the inner surface. Considerations in selecting a coating include that the coating must be food safe and not exhibit unacceptable levels of chemical immersion into the frozen liquid contents during storage or into the product during melting and/or dilution. Similarly, it cannot absorb desirable flavor and aroma compounds or oils from frozen contents, particularly during filling and dispensing operations where the contents are in liquid form. Other factors include that the coating must have a favorable static coefficient of friction, porosity measurement, and surface roughness measurement in order to reduce the force required to release the frozen liquid content from the receiver relative to the uncoated surface. The coating must maintain the desired characteristics described above over the temperature range to which the receiver will be exposed (e.g., about-20 ° F to about 212 ° F). In some embodiments, the coating has a static coefficient of friction ranging from 0.05 to 0.7. In other embodiments, the coating has a static coefficient of friction in the range of 0.3 to 0.4. In other embodiments, the coating has a static coefficient of friction in the range of 0.1 to 0.2. In other embodiments, the coating has a static coefficient of friction in the range of 0.05 to 0.1. In other embodiments, the coating has a static coefficient of friction in the range of 0.08 to 0.3. In other embodiments, the coating has a static coefficient of friction in the range of 0.07 to 0.4. In other embodiments, the coating has a static coefficient of friction in the range of 0.1 to 0.7. In some embodiments, the coating comprises one or more of polypropylene, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, fluorinated ethylene propylene, high density polyethylene, low density polyethylene, and/or mixtures and/or copolymers of these materials (e.g., polypropylene/polyethylene mixtures).

In one embodiment of the invention, a receiver having any of the geometries disclosed herein comprises a frozen liquid content as follows: it is dimensioned to allow a space of at least 5mm between the frozen liquid content and the end layer (bottom) of the receptacle, while also maintaining a space of at least 5mm between the frozen liquid content and the cover layer (top) of the receptacle when the content is displaced from the end layer. In this embodiment, the frozen liquid contents are further sized to provide a final beverage product at a temperature of between about 140 ° F and 190 ° F when the contents are mixed (at a temperature of 15 ° F) with 8 ounces of water at a temperature of 195 ° F. Further, in this embodiment, the concentration level of the frozen liquid content is such that when combined with 8 ounces of water results in a coffee beverage having a final product strength of between 1.15TDS and 1.35 TDS. Still further, in this embodiment, the hardness level of the frozen liquid contents (at temperatures between 0 ° F and 32 ° F) is such that forces from a dispenser and/or a known single-serve brewer needle (e.g., a hollow needle having an outer diameter of about 2.5mm with a diagonal sharpened section about 4mm long) that contacts the contents disengage from the inner surface of the receptacle rather than the needle digging into the contents or merely displacing a portion of the contents away from the receptacle surface. In other embodiments, the frozen liquid content is spaced at least 7mm from the top and bottom of the receiver. In still other embodiments, the concentration level of the frozen liquid content is such that, when combined with 8 ounces of water, a coffee beverage having a final product strength of about 1.25TDS is produced.

In some embodiments, information regarding the hardness of the frozen liquid content is included in the information collected by the dispenser, for example, information collected by QR codes, RFID, or other techniques described herein. The dispenser may use this information to determine whether, when, and where to pierce the receptacle during the manufacture of the product. For example, if the dispenser receives information indicating that the hardness of the frozen content is too soft to allow the perforator to detach the content from its position in the receptacle, the dispenser may use an auxiliary heat source to partially melt the content in a position opposite the perforation position before perforating the receptacle in a position corresponding to the content position. In an alternative embodiment, the dispenser has a hardness sensor (e.g., an ultrasonic hardness sensor or other known hardness sensor) that determines the hardness of the frozen contents.

In addition to the receiver geometry shown in fig. 16, embodiments of the invention include a tapered cylindrical receiver having a profile similar to that of receiver 3200 shown in fig. 32, and having a height ranging from 1.65 inches to 1.80 inches, a top inner diameter (top ID) ranging from 1.65 inches to 2.00 inches, a draft angle ranging from 4 to 6 degrees, and a bottom inner diameter (bottom ID) ranging from 1.30 inches to 1.75 inches (while maintaining the draft angle within the range). In certain embodiments, the height ranges from 1.70 inches to 1.75 inches, the top ID ranges from 1.70 inches to 1.95 inches, the draft angle ranges from 4 to 6 degrees, and the bottom ID ranges from 1.35 inches to 1.70 inches (while maintaining a draft angle within the ranges). In other embodiments, the height ranges from 1.65 inches to 1.80 inches, the top ID ranges from 1.75 inches to 1.90 inches, the draft angle ranges from 4 to 6 degrees, and the bottom ID ranges from 1.40 inches to 1.65 inches (while maintaining a draft angle within the ranges). In still other embodiments, the height ranges from 1.65 inches to 1.80 inches, the top ID ranges from 1.80 inches to 1.90 inches, the draft angle ranges from 4 to 6 degrees, and the bottom ID ranges from 1.45 inches to 1.60 inches (while maintaining a draft angle within the ranges). In one embodiment, the height is about 1.72 inches, the top ID is about 1.80 inches, the draft angle is about 5 degrees, and the bottom ID is about 1.45 inches. Other ranges for these parameters are within the scope of the present invention.

The various embodiments of the receiver described above disclose tapered sidewalls. However, other embodiments of the receiver have straight sidewalls. Fig. 33 shows a cross-sectional view of a receptacle 3300 having straight side walls 3305, the side walls 3305 having a uniform diameter from the top end to the bottom end of the receptacle. Embodiments having straight sidewalls may incorporate any of the various platform features described above. When such embodiments are used to produce a final food or beverage product, the dispenser may at least partially melt the frozen contents 3310 so as to provide a flow path from an inlet near the top of the receptacle, through the frozen contents, to an outlet near the bottom of the receptacle.

Figure 34 shows a cross-sectional side view of a receiver 3400 having straight first sidewall sections 3405 and straight second sidewall sections 3410. The first sidewall section 3405 has a smaller diameter than the second sidewall section 3410 such that when the frozen content 3415 is displaced, for example by an outlet piercer, a flow path through the receptacle is created. A platform with a raised lip (such as the embodiment shown in fig. 31) can be used with receptacle 3400 to assist in displacing frozen contents from first sidewall section 3405, as described in more detail above. In such embodiments, the raised lip of the platform can conform to the lower straight sidewall section 3405, or the raised lip of the platform can be displaced from the inner surface of the sidewall.

The following non-limiting examples are provided for illustrative purposes only. Other receiver sizes and other chilled liquid contents are within the scope of the invention.

Example 1 coffee beverage

In one embodiment of the invention, a single chamber mixing receptacle without a filter contains a frozen liquid content. The receiver has a profile similar to that shown in fig. 32, and has a height of about 1.72 inches, a top ID of about 1.80 inches, a draft angle of about 5 degrees, and a bottom ID of about 1.45 inches. The receptacle is sealed at the top with a pierceable layer, and the end layer is pierceable (e.g., by a dispenser/brewer needle, such as, but not limited to, the needles described above). The frozen liquid content is an concentrated coffee extract that is in contact with substantially the entire end layer and a portion of the sidewall.

To produce a final coffee beverage product having a TDS of between 1.15% and about 1.35% TDS (an alternative target with 1.25% TDS), the frozen liquid content at a temperature of 15 ° F is melted and diluted with 8 ounces of water at 195 ° F. Table 1 shows several alternative implementations of the frozen liquid content of this example and the effect on various parameters that vary the amount of frozen liquid content and the concentration of the content.

TABLE 1

As shown in table 1, to maintain the coffee beverage temperature above 140 ° F (e.g., to accommodate the addition of milk or cream while maintaining the beverage temperature above 120 ° F), the frozen liquid content weighs between about 0.15 and about 1.2 ounces at concentrations between about 60% TDS and about 8% TDS, where smaller contents require higher concentrations. When included in the receiver, the length of the empty space above the frozen liquid content and below the top layer (i.e., the headspace) is between about 0.6 inches and about 1.6 inches, which results in an empty space volume of between about 41% and about 91%.

Applicants have found that maintaining the frozen liquid content at a height of about 0.5 inches or less from the end layers of the receiver increases the ease of release of the content from the end layers. Thus, the contents may be further limited to a height of between about 0.5 inches and about 0.1 inches, thereby having a corresponding concentration of between about 60% TDS and about 20% TDS. Doing so increases the headspace and ullage relative to the previous example, which is expected to improve melting and mixing due to the increased ratio of water to chilled liquid content in the mixing chamber.

It may be desirable to limit the concentration range of the frozen liquid content to no more than 35% TDS. For example, to save energy, since more energy needs to be consumed in order to produce a relatively frozen liquid content with a higher concentration than a relatively frozen liquid content with a relatively lower concentration, and auxiliary processing processes may be required, such as removal of water by reverse osmosis during the extraction process. In this case, the frozen liquid content has a weight of about 0.30 ounces to about 0.5 ounces, leaving a headspace of between about 1.2 inches and about 1.45 inches having an empty volume of about 73% to about 85%.

EXAMPLE 2 espresso beverage

In another embodiment of the invention, a single chamber mixing receptacle without a filter contains a frozen liquid content. The receiver has the same profile and dimensions as described in example 1. In this example, the frozen liquid content is also an extract of concentrated coffee, which is in contact with substantially the entire end layer and a portion of the side wall.

To produce a final espresso coffee beverage product having a TDS between about 9.15% TDS and about 9.35% TDS (with an alternative target of about 9.25% TDS), the frozen liquid content at 15 ° F is melted and diluted with enough water at 195 ° F to produce a 4 ounce dispensed volume (sometimes referred to as a double espresso). Table 2 shows several alternative implementations of the frozen liquid content of this example and the effect on various parameters that vary the amount of frozen liquid content and the concentration of the content.

TABLE 2

Similar results can be obtained by using other receiver designs disclosed herein and the various embodiments of frozen liquid contents given in tables 1 and 2 and as described in the accompanying description above. Thus, the scope of the invention is not limited to the specific embodiment using frozen liquid contents in a receiver having a profile as shown in fig. 32.

As discussed throughout this specification, embodiments of the present invention provide a number of benefits. For example, because the receptacle is a single-chamber mixing vessel, the receptacle does not retain filter material, spent coffee grounds, spent tea leaves, or other materials that prevent the receptacle from being easily recycled as a single stream. Additionally, by providing chilled liquid content produced by the extraction process, such as by-products of coffee grinds, is maintained at a central facility, which may be more easily recovered or reused (such as biomass energy sources and/or sustainable soil nutrients). Again, a greater variety of end products may be supported by using frozen liquid contents, as described in more detail above. Thus, it should be understood that chilled liquid contents with TDS values higher or lower than the TDS values given in the illustrative examples above are within the scope of the present invention. Still other examples include TDS values between 0.5% TDS and 68% TDS, including ranges of 1% TDS to 68% TDS, 2% TDS to 68% TDS, 3% TDS to 68% TDS, 4% TDS to 68% TDS, and 5% TDS to 68% TDS.

As also discussed by the specification, embodiments of the present invention provide automated systems and techniques for producing a wide variety of liquid food and beverage products based on information about the source material (e.g., frozen liquid contents, dilution liquid, etc.) as well as information about the final product itself (e.g., desired volume, temperature, etc.). Further exemplary embodiments of systems and techniques for producing such products are described below. Aspects of these embodiments may be combined with any of the other aspects set forth above and still be within the scope of the invention.

Referring to fig. 35A, 35B, 36A and 36B, two different embodiments of portions of a dispenser for producing liquid food and beverage products are shown. As indicated above, the part of the dispenser comprises the equipment, sensors, controllers, etc. required to store, optionally heat and deliver liquid to the dispenser head (inlet to supply liquid into the receptacle) as the amount of liquid metered over a set period of time according to the product dispensed. In the following examples, water is used as the dilution liquid. A metered amount of water within a set temperature range enters the dispenser head in a continuous flow, pulsed or separated into volumes of water between air pulses. At the end of dispensing, air purges the dispenser head through the lines to purge the air/water lines and dispose of residual water, thereby reducing environmental hygiene issues. Fig. 35A and 35B illustrate an embodiment in which separate

fluid pumps

3551 and 3552 and

separate air pumps

3521 and 3522 are used to direct diluent fluid (e.g., water) from the primary storage reservoir 3510 through the heater 3530 or directly to the dispenser head via transfer point a 3570. Fig. 36A and 36B illustrate different embodiments in which only one fluid pump 3650 and one air pump 3620 are used with

steering valves

3681 and 3682, the

steering valves

3681 and 3682 being employed to control whether the fluid passes through the heater 3630 or directly to the transfer point 3670.

Fig. 35A shows the following case: wherein the fluid pump 3551 and the air pump 3521 are activated, withdrawing fluid from the reservoir 3510 and pumping it through the heater 3530 such that the fluid reaches the transfer point a at a temperature that is higher than the temperature in the reservoir. When activated, the air pump 3521 purges the heater 3530 and the air line leading to point a 3570.

Fig. 35B shows the following case: wherein the fluid pump 3552 and air pump 3522 are activated, withdrawing fluid from the reservoir 3510 and delivering it to point a3570 at the same temperature as when stored in the reservoir 3510. In some embodiments, the operations shown in fig. 35A and 35B may be combined at different times during a product generation/dispensing cycle so that the final beverage temperature may be customized to meet the desires of the user. By way of example, for a cold drink option such as orange juice, it may be desirable to dispense a small amount of hot water at the beginning of the cycle to slightly warm the frozen contents in the receptacle and create a clear outlet path for the fluid to the receptacle outlet. Then, to avoid producing an over-warmed beverage, the balance of the dispensing cycle is carried out using ambient temperature water directly from the reservoir, it being desirable to have the water cooled to some extent by the process of melting the frozen contents remaining in the receptacle. The

air pumps

3521 and 3522 may be activated during the dispensing of water to enhance cavitation/turbulence in the receiver. Once the dispensing cycle is completed at least by the moment the consumer removes the beverage from the dispenser, a final portion of the hot water can be passed through the system to clean various components in the dispensing head. This cleaning purge of hot water may be followed by a short air purge from both

air pumps

3521 and 3522 to clean the lines. In some embodiments, the cleaning water is directed to a drip tray where it is evaporated or periodically emptied by the user.

Fig. 36A shows the following case: therein, diverter valve 3682 is configured to divert fluid from reservoir 3610 to heater 3630 and on to transfer point a (item 3670). Meanwhile, the steering valve 3681 is also configured to send air to the heater 3630.

Fig. 36B shows the following case: therein, steering valve 3682 is configured to steer fluid from reservoir 3610 directly to transfer point a 3670. At the same time, steering valve 3681 is also configured to send air directly to transfer point a 3670.

For some embodiments, reservoir 3510 contains unheated fluid, which may be at ambient/room temperature or may contain chilled fluid, even fluid such as containing ice cubes. For some embodiments, heater 3530 is an electrically heated vessel similar to those known in the art for rapidly heating small volumes of fluid. The heater 3530 may or may not be pressure rated and is adapted to produce steam rather than hot liquid water. In some embodiments, the reservoir 3510 is insulated from the heater 3530, e.g., to prevent the heater 3530 from heating the liquid in the reservoir 3510. Although not shown, certain embodiments of the dispenser include a filter disposed in the flow path of the liquid exiting the reservoir. Similarly, a water conditioner (e.g., a water softener) may be included in the flow path of the liquid exiting the reservoir. In some embodiments, the reservoir is removable.

For some embodiments, pumps 3550, 3551, and 3552 are constant-displacement pumps, such as piston pumps or peristaltic pumps or even bilobe pumps. For some embodiments, pumps 3550, 3551, and 3552 are combined with flow sensors for measuring and controlling flow and absolute volume of flow. Any of these pumps may be an axial or centrifugal pump that does not pump a constant volume over time or each revolution, but instead is controlled in a closed loop process to deliver a measured amount of fluid measured by a flow sensor. In some embodiments,

valves

3681 and 3682 are three-way ball valves as are known in the art. In some embodiments,

valves

3681 and 3682 are also multi-port solenoid valves as are known in the art. In some embodiments,

valves

3681 and 3682 are electrically powered compression valves. In some embodiments,

pressure sensors

3580 and 3582, temperature sensor 3590, and stroke sensors for some

pumps

3595 and 3597 are used to provide system performance information to the controller for use in various feedback algorithms to keep the system operating as needed to dispense fluid at the proper volume and at the preferred temperature to produce a final beverage that meets the user's preferences. In some embodiments, the pressure sensor information is used to adjust the pump stroke to fine tune the dispensed liquid (hot or cold) for either system.

One beneficial aspect of embodiments of the dispenser is a system for supplying supplemental (non-dilute) thermal energy to the receiver and its frozen contents to help manage the final average temperature of the dispensed food or beverage product. As described herein, techniques for increasing thermal energy may include: direct conduction from the electrically or water heated collar through the side wall of the receiver, impingement of hot gases, air or steam on the exterior of the receiver, use of various forms of electromagnetic energy that can heat the receiver or directly heat the frozen contents. Some examples of the latter include infrared irradiation, RF heating, microwave heating, and the like. Fig. 37A-39B illustrate three exemplary embodiments of portions of a distributor system, which illustrate how this secondary (non-dilute) metered thermal energy can be combined with: (a) the melted/diluted fluid delivered through the above-described delivery point a 3570, (b) different forms of agitation that help speed the liquefaction of the frozen contents, and (c) different strategies for holding and perforating the receptacle to allow for drainage, fluid addition, drainage, and heating/melting using a heated needle/perforator. It is to be understood that characterizing these heat sources as "auxiliary" does not require applying heat to another heat source at a second time, or that an auxiliary heat source supplies less heat than other heat sources. The term "undiluted" describes that the heat source does not supply a diluting liquid to the interior of the receptacle as a way of heating the frozen contents.

Figures 37A-37E illustrate one of many possible embodiments in which the system for impinging hot air on the receiver provides auxiliary (non-dilute) thermal energy. In this exemplary system, various different techniques are combined to produce an overall system for melting, diluting, and dispensing the frozen contents within the receptacle into a desired potency and volume of beverage that is satisfactory to the user. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the various techniques shown in fig. 37A-37E, and throughout the other figures that follow, may be combined in many different variations and combinations to achieve the same objectives. In some embodiments, the receiver is first scanned using some type of optical sensor 3705 to determine the nature of its contents. In some embodiments, a successful scan (e.g., the system confirms the receiver as acceptable with the scan information) results in drawer 3703 being opened so that receiver cavity 3706 can fill the user-selected receiver 3704. In some embodiments, the user initiates a continue dispensing cycle by pushing a button, reengaging the drawer with the dispenser housing, or some other step that affirmatively indicates a decision to proceed. In some embodiments, the dispenser has a lock that engages after drawer 3703 is closed so that drawer 3703 cannot be reopened until the dispenser completes a dispensing cycle or otherwise unlocks the drawer.

In some embodiments, upon receiving a signal, the drawer 3703, supported by some structural element 3710 in the dispenser, slides closed. In some embodiments, a mechanism such as plate 3707 is driven down onto the top of the receiver to strengthen the receiver cover against leakage and pierce the cover with the liquid dispensing needle. In some embodiments, prior to or concurrent with the initiation of agitation and addition of dilution liquid, an amount of thermal energy is added to the receiver 3706 to warm or partially or fully melt the frozen contents. In some embodiments, this thermal energy is supplied by air blown by a fan 3701 through a duct 3702 and over a heater 3700. In some embodiments, the heater 3700 is electrically heated. In some embodiments, the heater 3700 is a water-air heat exchanger that uses hot water from a heater tank (element 3530 in fig. 35A) or some auxiliary heater (not shown). In some embodiments, heater 3700 is an element of a thermoelectric device that can be used to cool a receiver or chamber at a later time in a cycle or after a cycle to remove excess heat (e.g., a peltier cooler and/or heater).

The efficiency of the hot air heating is greatly enhanced if the sides of the receiver are directly hit by the hot air. Accordingly, in some embodiments, cavity 3706 is an open or porous structure that allows most or all of the side walls of receiver 3704 to be in direct contact with impinging air. For example, the cavity may consist of only one collar that captures the uppermost portion of the receiver side wall or stacking ring and does not extend downward in any way to shield the receiver from air flow. In some embodiments, as noted above, either in combination with the addition of auxiliary thermal energy or in combination with the addition of a dilution fluid (e.g., water) at a later stage of the cycle, the initial receiver and the frozen contents inside are agitated to some extent to increase the number of collisions between the dilution liquid and the frozen contents, break any stagnant layer of dilution liquid, etc., thereby accelerating liquefaction of the frozen contents. In some embodiments, the agitation is caused by a motor 3708. In some embodiments, the agitation is rotation 3712. In some embodiments, rotation is either a large motion (e.g., 90-120 ° in one direction before reversal and then repeated) or a small motion (e.g., vibration or < <90 °) reciprocating motion. In an alternative embodiment, a solenoid is used to apply agitation.

In some embodiments, the melting/diluting liquid is added to the receptacle in conjunction with or before agitation begins. The liquid is delivered via transition point a 3570 in part of the dispenser described above. In some embodiments, the molten/diluent liquid is delivered directly from the reservoir and arrives at approximately its initial temperature in the reservoir. In some embodiments, the melt/dilution liquid passes through the heater tank en route to transition point a. In some embodiments, in conjunction with the addition of the melting/diluting liquid, the bottom of the receiver 3704 is pierced with a second needle or perforator 3709 so that the melted liquid can drain into the user's cup 3714. In some embodiments, once the dispensing cycle is complete and almost all of the melt/diluent liquid has drained from the receptacle, completely melting the frozen contents and washing the interior of the receptacle clean, drawer 3703 is reopened and receptacle 3704 can be removed and discarded 3716. Alternatively, the system may cool the receiver by forcing ambient or cooling air through the duct 3702 into contact with the receiver 3705 before the drawer is reopened.

As described elsewhere in this specification, agitation of frozen liquid contents is an effective means of increasing the rate of liquefaction thereof. From a fluid-dynamic point of view, the observed results are clear, whether the specific mechanism is to break the boundary layer between the solid and the heated liquid, increase the relative velocity between the two, increase the incidence of physical contact between the solids, or even a small amount of kinetic energy converted into heat. The frozen contents melt faster with agitation than without agitation.

In some embodiments, the agitation takes the form of a vibration or very small amplitude oscillatory motion of the contents. Systems and techniques for mechanically inducing vibrations are well known in the art, including magnetic excitation of materials, supplying varying electrical signals to piezoelectric components, and using an eccentrically weighted rotating disk.

While oscillation of the vibration level is more effective than without agitation, liquefaction efficiency increases with the magnitude and energy level of the interaction between the solid (frozen or partially frozen) component and the molten/diluent liquid. In some embodiments, this greater amplitude of agitation is caused by mechanical or fluid forces. The mechanical force comprises applying a relatively large angular rotation to the cavity and/or the receiver (typically motor driven) by a direct axial connection or by a belt, gear or friction drive arrangement. Asymmetric oscillation, in which the clockwise and counter-clockwise rotational amplitudes around the neutral point are unequal over a short period of time, has proven particularly effective because it prevents the generation of regular patterns, standing waves, etc., leading to an increase in the local chaotic nature of the fluid. Multiple rotational movements (i.e., rotating a complete revolution for several seconds in one direction and then in the other) are also useful. This motion produces less chaotic motion of the fluid, but may provide an opportunity to preferentially direct the centrifugally driven fluid.

In some embodiments, the drive motors used for mechanical agitation are DC drive motors that are driven by the magnitude and polarity of the DC voltage fed to them by the controller, sometimes by a special motor power supply optimized for the particular motor. In some embodiments, the drive motor is a stepper motor or servo motor that can be more precisely programmed to perform a particular motion pattern, and if the key lock feature is incorporated into the receiver and cavity, the stepper motor or servo motor can be used to restore the key lock feature to a particular position for loading, unloading, scanning, etc.

In some embodiments, as described above, once the small liquid bearing interface melts between the receiver inner surface and the frozen contents, the melting/diluting fluid is injected tangentially into the receiver. The liquid is injected in order to rotate the frozen contents within the receptacle to liquefy the frozen contents more quickly. In some cases, the volume of melting/dilution fluid that can be added to the receiver is limited and not provided to keep the frozen contents spinning long enough to achieve the desired level of melting. In some embodiments, an alternative technique to rotate the frozen contents is to inject compressed air or other gas through a needle such that the gas impinges the frozen contents tangentially near the outer diameter edge of the frozen contents. In some embodiments, the gas is provided/compressed and stored in a suitable vessel inside or near the dispenser, prior to need, using mechanical or chemical means known in the art (e.g., mechanical pumps or chemical reactions known to generate gases).

In some embodiments, the injection needles are supplied using mechanical or chemical means that continuously generate gas at the desired pressure. For example, a larger pump may be used. In some embodiments, the flow of gas to the injection needle is timed and controlled by the dispenser system controller and coordinated with the flow of melting/diluting liquid through the same or separate needles, wherein the flow of melting/diluting liquid is before or after the injection of gas, or interspersed with gas. For example, a small amount of liquid may be injected, followed by a burst or extended flow of gas, followed by more liquid, and so on, until the specified cycle is complete.

Once a thin film of liquid is melted between the two surfaces forming the liquid bearing interface, the fluid-based technique of inducing agitation utilizes a low coefficient of friction between the frozen contents within the receptacle and the receptacle walls. In this case, a steady or pulsed flow from the injection needle directed tangentially near the side wall of the receiver may be used to start the frozen content spinning. Fluid induced agitation is particularly attractive in that it reduces mechanical complexity and cost within the dispenser. These benefits must be weighed against the loss of process control flexibility and the limitations imposed by the amount of melt/diluent fluid available to certain types of beverage or food receptacles. In some embodiments, the long needle passes completely through the receptacle and the frozen contents and remains in place as a drip guide for the contents or dilution fluid expelled from the receptacle to the user's cup or dispenser. In some embodiments, the needle is shaped like a bayonet and is electrically heated to facilitate its passage through the frozen contents. Once the needle is in place, extending through the lid and closed end of the receptacle, a second needle is introduced into the receptacle and begins to inject fluid tangentially to the diametrical curvature of the receptacle sidewall to cause the frozen contents to rotate within the stationary receptacle using the melted contents as a lubricant for rotation. In some embodiments, the stationary receiver is heated externally before and/or during puncturing with a bayonet and introducing fluid as a means to increase the entropy of the system and promote liquefaction. When the contents melt, they flow past the bayonet and drip from the tip of their lowermost side. In some embodiments, the last portion of frozen contents melts before all of the dilution liquid is injected, allowing the clean cup to be removed from the dispenser once the needle/lancet is retracted.

Fig. 38A-38E illustrate another system and technique by which a receptacle may be captured in a dispenser and frozen contents may be melted, diluted, and dispensed. Because many of the features of this alternative system are similar to those just described in connection with fig. 37A-37E, further explanation will focus on alternative techniques for adding auxiliary (non-dilute) thermal energy. In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 38, the receptacle is scanned (fig. 38A) and inserted into chamber 3801. The receptor 3804 is held by a closely matching tapered surface 3806 of the chamber. As an analogy, which one skilled in the art will readily understand, the mating tapered sidewall surfaces of the receiver and heater ideally contact, much in the same way that a machine tool and a holding chuck (both machined with a matching morse taper) are in intimate contact. In some embodiments, the external mating surface 3806 is a portion of the resistive heater 3800 that can be controllably heated to a desired temperature, such as 195 @, 205F (below the boiling point of the frozen contents after melting).

As with the previous example involving hot air, in some embodiments, the heater 3800 may be activated for a period of time calculated by the dispenser controller using information about the frozen contents obtained from the initial scan and various on-board sensors. This period of time may be designed to warm, partially melt, or fully melt the frozen contents depending on the desired final dispensed beverage/food temperature and the planned volume. For this heating process, information about the freezing/melting temperature of the frozen content is required, in particular if the frozen content is intended to be partially melted. This information, which may be collected by the scanning receiver 3804, as described elsewhere herein, is used in the temperature feedback loop control. The nominal freezing/melting point can also be estimated based on information on the frozen content (% water,% sugar,% fat,% protein, etc.). As described above in connection with fig. 37A-37E, the receptacle can be agitated before, during, or after heating, and a liquid food or beverage product dispensed (fig. 38D). Fig. 38E shows removal of the empty and clean receptacle 3804. Although not shown in the figures, a close fitting relationship between the receptacle and the inner surface of the chamber may be achieved by immersing the receptacle in a heated liquid bath.

Fig. 39A shows a source using a Radio Frequency (RF) coil to provide auxiliary heat to a receiver using a process similar to that described for the embodiments shown in fig. 37A-37E and 38A-38E. In some embodiments, power supply 3921 emits a high frequency current to coil 3920. The oscillating electric field is known to interact with ice, but has considerable dielectric losses that are converted to heat. Oscillation frequencies in the 3MHz range have been shown to be particularly effective during this heating process. As in the other illustrations presented herein, this supplemental heating is managed by a microcontroller within the dispenser to coordinate timing, duration, and power with other events throughout the melting/dilution/dispensing cycle, including agitation, addition of fluid within the receptacle, and the schedule of different needle punctures.

Figure 39B illustrates the use of electromagnetic energy as an auxiliary heat source to heat frozen contents. In one embodiment, microwave energy is used. Those skilled in the art will recognize that magnetrons used to supply high frequency electromagnetic energy may be designed to provide frequencies ranging from the low megahertz range to the gigahertz range. In the illustrative example, the power supply 3940 powers a magnetron (ac power frequency generator) 3941 to deliver a beam of energy to a receiver. In some operating situations, the electromagnetic heating cycle begins before the receptacle is pierced by one or more needles. In other cases, the electromagnetic heating cycle begins after the receptacle is pierced by one or more needles. In some use cases, the initial piercing of the receptacle is managed to simply provide a small bleed so that any vapor or steam generated by the supplemental heating process can escape from the receptacle without any significant pressure rise. In some embodiments, the receiver is held within the dispenser cavity and its axis of symmetry is oriented vertically during heating, dilution, and agitation. In this case, the electromagnetic energy is directed into the receiver through the side walls of the receiver. In some embodiments, the receptacle is held within the dispenser cavity with its axis of symmetry oriented horizontally during heating, dilution, and agitation. In this case, the electromagnetic energy is directed into the receiver through the lid or closed end of the receiver. In some embodiments, where the receiver material is aluminum, some other metal, or other conductive material, the "window" in the cover or closed end of the receiver (depending on which side faces the emitter) is made of a material that is transparent to the frequency of the energy used. In some embodiments, the window is a circular or rectangular patch (to match the shape of the transmitter or receiver) that is heat sealed over an aperture in the closed end of the receiver or an aperture in an aluminum lid. In some embodiments, the inlet and outlet pins are shielded by a ground plane.

Fig. 54 shows a portion of the dispenser 4700 having a chamber 4710 that holds the receptacle 4715 in a horizontal position by the chamber 4710 rather than a vertical position as shown in other embodiments. A dilution liquid inlet 4720 (which may be covered with a metal foil) perforates the top of the receptacle at a location where the product outlet 4725 is above the formation location of the top of the receptacle. In one embodiment (shown by arrows), the chamber provides agitation about a central axis 4730 of the chamber 4710. In an alternative embodiment, the dispenser provides agitation along the central axis 4730. The piping connecting the dilution liquid inlet 4720 to the transfer point a 3570 and/or the piping connecting the product outlet 4725 to the final product outlet is flexible to accommodate the motion imparted to the receptacle.

In one embodiment of the invention, a Radio Frequency (RF) dielectric heating system provides supplemental heating (i.e., non-dilution heat) to the receiver and/or the frozen liquid contents in the receiver. In one embodiment, the process uses a high frequency electrical signal, for example in the range of 6-42MHz, to cause rapid vibration of water molecules in the compound. It is believed that heating occurs simultaneously throughout the entire volume of the contents of the receptacle, rather than an outside-in process. Thus, in some cases, RF dielectric heating is faster in heating liquids than other known techniques (such as contact or convection heating).

Fig. 40 shows a cross-sectional view of a system 4000 for heating the frozen liquid contents of a receptacle using RF dielectric heating. Fig. 40 shows the receptor housing 4003 and the cover 4002 on the housing; the receiver holds the frozen liquid content 4004. The receiver housing 4003 is metallic and electrically conductive, while the material of the cover 4002 is a non-conductive plastic, such as polypropylene. An RF power supply 4006 is electrically connected to the upper contact 4001 and the lower contact 4005. The lower contact 4005 is also in electrical contact with the metal receiver housing 4003. Application of an alternating voltage between 4001 and 4005 generates an alternating electric field across the frozen contents 4004. Optionally, upper contact 4001 is sized to obtain a fairly uniform field line/gradient through the frozen liquid contents, thereby reducing hot spots. In one embodiment, the diameter of upper contact 4001 is selected to create a substantially equal gap between the edge of the upper contact and the sidewall of receiver housing 4003.

In another embodiment, referring again to fig. 40, both the receiver housing 4003 and the cover 4002 are of a non-conductive plastic material. Optionally, upper contact 4001 and lower contact 4005 are the same shape and size, and the contacts are flat (i.e., without non-flipped sidewalls, as shown in fig. 40), and the diameters of both will extend 1-2mm beyond the edge of receiver cover 4002.

Referring to fig. 49, one of the known problems with RF dielectric heating techniques involving both water and ice is the non-uniform heating of the process. When water molecules are trapped within the crystal structure, as is the case with ice, they are no longer free to follow the rapidly changing electrical orientation between the two electrical contacts or by the field impinging microwave energy. This results in a relatively low dielectric loss factor, as shown in the graph for temperatures below 0 ℃. However, once the ice melts, the loss factor rises very rapidly and the molten water present in small localized pockets typically formed by RF or microwave heating throughout the ice structure heats up rapidly. This uneven heating can even lead to local boiling and steam generation if temperature equilibration is not allowed.

Several approaches have been developed to address this well-known problem. One known technique is to apply power in pulses in on/off cycles. Doing so allows a portion of the heat in the small pockets of water to enter the surrounding ice, gradually increasing the volume of each pocket until the entire ice structure is converted to water. While this heating technique is less efficient than possible with products that were initially all liquid (in which the RF or microwave power could be applied continuously), it is still significantly faster than can be achieved with more conventional conductive heating methods. This is particularly true when the temperature of the external heat source must be limited to prevent damage to the heated liquid near the exterior of the bulk of frozen contents. For example, as in heating frozen orange juice, where excess heat can affect complex sugar structure and reduce flavor.

Fig. 41 is an isometric view of a chamber cover 4100, the chamber cover 4100 comprising two

fluid delivery needles

4102, 4103 and a central electrode 4105 for ohmic heating. Ohmic heating may be used as an alternative to dielectric heating for heating frozen liquid contents and still be operable on a volumetric basis. This process requires frozen contents that are electrically conductive, but still provide some resistance to electron flow. In one embodiment, current is introduced at one contact, causing the current to flow through the frozen liquid content or the melted liquid to the second contact. In this end view of assembly 4100, a chamber seal plate 4101 made of a non-conductive material such as injection molded plastic positions and retains needles or

penetrators

4102, 4103 for flowing dilution liquid and/or molten product. The plate 4101 also positions and holds an electrode 4105, the electrode 4105 including an insulating jacket 4104.

In some embodiments, the electrode assembly (combination of the sheath 4104 and electrode 4105) is fixed in place with one end protruding beyond the back of the plate 4101. Optionally, the assembly is spring loaded, allowing the electrical contacts to gradually move further into the receptacle as the portion of frozen contents melts, so as to maintain contact with the frozen core. In some embodiments, the insulator 4104 is a ceramic material, such as alumina, having good strength and relatively high electrical resistivity.

Figure 42 is a cross-sectional view of the first embodiment of the ohmic heating system 4100 of figure 41. A single electrical probe 4105 is shown slightly embedded in the frozen contents 4004. Covering the conductor 4105 with an electrical insulator 4104 allows for the use of a metal cover (such as aluminum foil) to enclose the receptacle during packaging. During the auxiliary heating stage of the process for producing liquid food or beverages described in more detail above, electricity flows from the electrical contacts 4105 into the frozen contents 4004 to the electrically conductive (e.g., aluminum) receiver housing 4003 and ultimately to the electrical contacts 4107. Power is provided by source 4106, which in some embodiments, source 4106 is an Alternating Current (AC) power source. The use of an AC power source serves to avoid electrolysis-related problems that may occur at one or both of the electrical contacts using a Direct Current (DC) power source.

Figure 43 is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the ohmic heating system 4100 of figure 41. In the illustrated embodiment, the electrical contacts 4108 are equipped with one or more small perforated cones or similarly shaped bodies 4109 integral with the contacts. These conical projections 4109 pierce the bottom of the receiver housing 4003 to form a direct electrical connection between the frozen contents 4004 and the electrical contacts 4108. This can be advantageous when the receptor housing 4003 is non-metallic or the inner surface of the receptor is covered with a non-conductive coating (e.g., a thin polypropylene layer used to coat aluminum receptors to enhance food safety, eliminate chemical reactions between aluminum and food, and/or provide a welding surface for heat sealed lids).

Fig. 44 shows an isometric view of a cavity cover 4200, the cavity cover 4200 comprising two

fluid delivery needles

4102, 4103 and two

electrodes

4105, 4111 for ohmic heating. Meanwhile, fig. 45 is a cross-sectional view of ohmic heating system 4200 of fig. 44. The system 4200 uses two

electrical contacts

4105, 4111 positioned and held by an end plate 4201. The complete electrical path includes the two electrical contacts and the frozen contents without the need for a metal receiver housing 4003. Thus, this embodiment would be equally well suited for use with both conductive (metal) receiver housings 4003 and non-conductive (plastic) receiver housings 4003. As mentioned above, the electrode assemblies may be fixed or spring loaded. As with the other auxiliary heating sources given above, embodiments of ohmic heating may supply heat before, during, or after addition of the dilution fluid and/or with and/or without agitation. This concept can be readily adapted to any of the dispenser configurations given in more detail above, including for example dispensers having vertically aligned cavities.

In some embodiments, the power supply 4106 has circuitry to detect an impending dielectric fault and limit the current supply accordingly to prevent arcing using known methods.

Fig. 51 and 52 are isometric views of two helically coiled electrodes 4500 for use with embodiments of ohmic heating systems described herein. As described above, ohmic heating operates based on the resistivity of a frozen solid or liquid to cause heating when an electric current is passed through the material. Localized heating at the point of introduction of the current may result in inefficient or ineffective heating. More uniform heating occurs when the electrical contact surface at the electrode/food interface is larger rather than smaller. In one embodiment, electrical contact surfaces (electrodes) are included in the receptacle prior to formation of the frozen liquid content in the receptacle to increase the surface area available for electrical contacts beyond that achieved by the needle electrodes.

Fig. 51 shows two spiral wound shapes 4501, 4502 used as electrodes. In some embodiments, these coiled electrodes are stainless steel foil materials attached to contact

surfaces

4505 and 4506, respectively. Fig. 52 shows the same spiral coils 4501, 4502 and

contact surfaces

4505, 4506, and for clarity, the cup body 4515 is not shown. The insulating frame 4510 holds the coil in place. Contact surfaces 4505, 4506 are provided in the receiver so as to contact electrodes in the dispenser system when the receiver is inserted (e.g., as shown and described with respect to the embodiment of fig. 45). Fig. 52 shows another embodiment of two

electrodes

4601, 4602 formed as open rectangular bodies.

Fig. 46 is an isometric view of a heating system 4300 that uses microwave energy to heat the frozen liquid content in the receptacle. The heating system 4300 has a chamber 4310, the chamber 4310 having a chamber lid 4312 and a chamber body 4314 joined by a hinge 4316. The chamber body 4314 has a receiver opening 4318, the receiver opening 4318 sized to receive a receiver holding frozen liquid contents. Fig. 46 shows chamber 4310 open, while fig. 47 shows chamber 4310 closed. Meanwhile, fig. 48 shows a cross-sectional view of the heating system 4300 of fig. 46 and 47.

Heating system 4300 is yet another form of supplemental heating system that may be used with several embodiments presented herein. The heating system 4300 uses a source of microwave energy, high frequency electrical energy, which is transmitted to a receiver while held in the chamber 4310. Some embodiments of heating system 4300 use a magnetron as a source of microwave energy. The magnetron may operate at a frequency of, for example, about 2.45 gigahertz. Other embodiments use magnetrons operating at 5.8 gigahertz and delivering 700 watts or more. Magnetrons operating at higher frequencies are available and have relatively low power levels. Currently, magnetrons operating at 5.8 gigahertz and above are relatively more expensive than 2.45 gigahertz magnetrons. However, it is within the scope of the present invention to use magnetrons having relatively high frequencies, and may provide benefits as described below.

At the lower end of the microwave spectrum, e.g., 2.45GHz, the generated waveforms may be transmitted through both waveguides and coaxial cables. Using coaxial cables in excess of 3GHz may be impractical at least at relatively high power levels. It is believed that the use of coaxial cable for energy delivery is suitable for power levels of 700 watts or less. Thus, in certain embodiments, the coaxial cable is used to deliver energy to a receiver while held in the chamber 4310. Such an embodiment would benefit from the volume, cost and flexibility within the dispenser required for routing the RF energy signal. For example, adjustments to the coaxial cable transmission design may be achieved in accordance with the techniques set forth in U.S. patent No.5,216,327, which is incorporated herein by reference.

The disclosed technology addresses the challenges associated with using microwave energy to melt and heat frozen contents. For example, as explained above, without implementing appropriate protective measures, the portion of the frozen content volume that first transitions from ice to liquid may overheat. Also as discussed above, techniques such as pulsed heating for RF dielectric heating would be used for heating with microwave energy. Another challenge associated with using microwave energy within a conductive receiver is the fact that the electric field at the surface of the conductive material is always substantially zero. This null state establishes a region of no heating that extends into the receiver approximately a quarter wavelength from the receiver wall. If the receiver is large enough relative to the wavelength, for example more than a few wavelengths deep, heating may occur in the rest of the frozen content. Although this method may still produce hot and cold spots, melting can occur if standing waves are generated. These hot and cold spots are treated in a microwave oven by dispersion fans, rotating platens, etc. Those known techniques may be applied to the systems disclosed herein.

One solution to the latter challenge described above is to use a receiver constructed of a non-conductive material (e.g., a polymer). Such a receptacle would be received in an enclosure that positions the top and bottom exterior walls of the receptacle away from the corresponding top and bottom walls of the enclosure by approximately a quarter wavelength of the frequency of the propagated microwaves. For example, if a microwave heating system with a frequency of 2.45GHz is used, the wavelength is about 12.2 cm. One quarter of a wavelength is a distance of 3.05 centimeters or 1.2 inches. Thus, a metal closure that retains a plastic receptacle in the closure to maintain a 1.2 inch gap between the top and bottom closure walls and the corresponding receptacle walls would produce the following heat zones: the heating zone is generally aligned with the center of the receiver as measured between the top and bottom walls of the receiver. The use of the top and bottom walls of the closure and receptacle are illustrative only, and other orientations of the receptacle relative to the closure are within the scope of the invention.

At the same time, another solution to the latter problem uses a relatively high frequency microwave signal while still using an aluminum receiver or other conductive material. Advantageously, the dielectric loss coefficient of water and ice increases with increasing frequency to about 18 GHz. The dielectric heating effect is also proportional to the frequency, since the energy converted into heat is the same for each vibration cycle the molecules undergo. This combination indicates that a frequency of 18-24GHz will work well in this embodiment because the null zone between the receiver wall and the heated zone will be in the range of about 0.12-0.16 inches. Optionally, a waveguide is used to convey the microwave energy (rather than a coaxial cable). For example, for a frequency of 24.125GHz (the highest tolerable microwave frequency within the industrial scientific medical band set aside by the FCC and similar agencies worldwide for open use), the optimal waveguide size is 0.34x0.17 inches (WR 34).

Fig. 46-48 show a microwave heating system 4300 that uses a magnetron 4302 that supplies a 24.125GHZ signal through a waveguide 4303 to a transmission horn 4304 through a partially microwave transparent cavity end plate 4301 into an open space 4318 defined by a chamber body 4314 (when the chamber is closed). The metal receiver and the frozen liquid contents therein receive microwave energy. Modifications and additions to the basic graphic design to ensure optimal signal impedance matching, protection of the magnetron from backscattering, etc. are within the knowledge of those skilled in the art. Additionally, for any of the embodiments described herein that employ electromagnetic radiation as the supplemental heating source, the portion of the chamber that holds the receptacle is opaque to the wavelength used by the supplemental heating source to heat the receptacle and/or freeze the contents. In some embodiments, only "windows" in the chamber allow electromagnetic radiation to enter, while the rest of the chamber does not allow energy to pass through the rest of the walls. The chamber walls are optionally insulated to reduce heat loss from the chamber.

Fig. 50 is an isometric view of the infrared heating system 4400. The heating system 4400 is yet another example of an auxiliary heat source. The frozen contents contained in receiver 4410 may also be melted and heated using Infrared (IR) heaters. In some embodiments, the heat source 4403 is a combined IR heater and reflector powered by an on-board power supply (not shown). In some embodiments, the IR heater emits an IR spectrum centered at about 2-2.5 microns corresponding to a blackbody emitter of about 1200K to match the optimal absorption bands for water and ice. In some embodiments, a band pass filter 4402 that allows radiation in the range of about 2.0-3.3 microns to reach receiver 4410 is disposed between the heat source 4403 and receiver 4410. Such a filter reduces the typical high absorption peaks of polypropylene or polyethylene materials used to cover and seal the receiver 4410. Reducing the energy at these absorption peaks reduces the likelihood of melting the lid material while heating the frozen contents. In some embodiments, the IR heater is an incoherent light source. In some embodiments, the heater is an infrared laser system. In some embodiments, the laser system includes beam expander optics to expand the coherent beam to match the entire diameter of the receiver or some smaller diameter inside the piercing needle.

In some embodiments, the dispenser may have a predetermined heating and agitation function for each receptacle that does not change regardless of the temperature and contents of the receptacle. Settings may be established to provide a beverage at an acceptable temperature from a freezing receiver of varying temperature. However, in certain embodiments, the inclusion of thermal sensing equipment and systems and techniques that receive information about frozen contents or receivers enables the dispenser to process and express variables of the beverage making process via certain state equations and/or input-output tables, in a timely manner to obtain a beverage having a desired flavor, potency, volume, temperature, and texture.

The thermal sensing equipment incorporated within the dispensing device may include any type of sensor including, but not limited to, RTDs, thermistors, thermocouples, other thermal sensors, and infrared energy sensors. Alternatively, a temperature indicating strip, for example produced using various different thermographic inks, may be included on the receiver to visually signal the temperature within the receiver via a change in the appearance or properties of the temperature strip. The temperature strip may be a signal to the consumer as to whether the cartridge is properly frozen prior to loading into the dispensing apparatus and used by the dispenser via some type of camera/monitor to convert a visual signal into an electronic reading. Some embodiments of thermal inks are based on leuco dyes that are sensitive to heat and change from transparent to opaque/colored as the temperature is lowered to its activation point. In some embodiments, these leuco dyes are constructed in small printed square strips (each square having a different composition of leuco dyes) outside the receptacle and are arranged in an ordered fashion such that the length of the opaque/colored strips steadily increases or the shape changes as the temperature of the cup drops.

Similarly, as a means to alert the consumer that the receiver may have been exposed to an unacceptably high temperature prior to use, in some embodiments, the exterior of the receiver may include the following areas: the areas are covered with a material that irreversibly changes color if a certain activation temperature is reached or exceeded. Systems of this type (e.g. based on coloured paper and special waxes formulated to melt at the required temperature) are well known in the art.

As mentioned elsewhere herein, the receiver may include a barcode, QR code, indicia, image, number, or other type of image character to communicate information about the frozen contents or the receiver to the dispenser via the optical sensor. In some embodiments, this information is encrypted to create barriers to counterfeiting by other producers. Without the code, the device remains inactive and/or will refuse to accept the receiver. Alternatively, without the code, the dispenser operates to deliver the beverage, but with only a reduced series of functions that may not provide the best user experience. The optical sensor may be an optical switch, camera or laser configuration and use any type of photoconductive, photovoltaic, photodiode or phototransistor device. Alternatively, the receiver may include resistive printing that determines what beverage it contains. A simple probe mounted in the dispenser contacts the paint to read the resistance.

Alternatively, the receiver may include a physical structure that serves as information for determining the nature of the frozen contents therein. In some embodiments, the geometry of the receptacle is detected by the dispenser and, based on the particular geometry, various settings for producing the beverage are adjusted to correspond to plant or user-generated parameters of the beverage.

In some embodiments, probes may be used to pierce the receiver and identify the contents based on spectrometry, chromatography, or other known techniques to identify the component characteristics. In other embodiments, an electromagnetic sensor in the dispenser and a compatible electromagnetic tag embedded in the receiver are utilized (e.g., using RFID, NFC, Bluetooth @)^TMEtc.) to communicate information about the frozen contents to the dispenser. In another embodiment, the receiver may be weighed using a scale/weight sensor, and different products may be distinguished by quality. Similarly, a mass sensor may be used to directly determine the mass of the filled receiver.

The information detected by the dispenser may include the composition of the frozen contents or derivatives thereof that may be indicative of the mass and/or certain thermodynamic properties of the contents. In some examples, the contents may be classified by the amount of their protein, fat, carbohydrate, fiber, ash, or other food ingredients. In other embodiments, the contents may be identified by a category (e.g., juice) or subclass (e.g., orange juice) that groups the receptacles with similar thermodynamic properties and desired drinking temperatures. With a qualitative, temperature, and thermodynamic understanding of the frozen content, the dispenser may use the microprocessor to adjust its beverage production settings to carefully melt, dilute, and heat the frozen content to a desired volume, potency, temperature, texture, and the like.

Alternatively, the receiver may include a representation of thermodynamic properties in the form of certain key variables derived from the components of the frozen content. These thermodynamic and other properties as inputs may include, but are not limited to, mass, shape, density, specific heat, enthalpy of fusion, enthalpy of vaporization, thermal conductivity, heat capacity, initial freezing point, freezing point depression, thermal diffusivity, or any combination or derivative of this classification describing melting and reheating properties. Other information about the frozen contents and/or the receptacle includes the headspace and/or fill volume present in the receptacle.

In some embodiments, the information communicated to the dispenser to determine certain process variables may include a date of manufacture. For example, in some embodiments, the food components within the receptacle may include fresh fruits or vegetables that generate heat through respiration and lose moisture through transpiration. All of these processes should be included to make accurate heat transfer calculations. In rare cases, changes in thermodynamic properties based on time variables should be considered. In other embodiments, the date of manufacture may be important in determining whether certain age-sensitive components in the frozen contents have exceeded a tolerable shelf life, optionally included in the information communicated to the dispenser. In such an embodiment, the dispenser may be programmed to reject the receiver and prevent its disposal to ensure the safety of the user.

The determination of the beverage production function and settings may include an equation having one or more variables. For example, the dispenser may use the temperature, mass, specific heat, and melting enthalpy in a multivariable equation to determine the most efficient way to prepare a beverage or liquid food product to deliver it to a consumer's cup at a particular temperature, consistency, and volume. Alternatively, the determination of settings and functions may be based on a processor using input and output tables in a database. For example, a receiver with a detected category and temperature may be included in the database, thereby being associated with a variable function to melt, dilute, and reheat. The database may be stored within the dispenser or at a remote location and may be accessed over a communications network. In some embodiments, a combination of input and output tables and equations may be used to determine appropriate beverage production settings, including adjustments to dispenser height, voltage, and in-use voltage drop.

Each combination of mass and temperature of the frozen composition requires the addition of an amount of energy to allow it to be melted and heated to the desired temperature with the diluent liquid and other melting and reheating means. In the thermodynamic model equations for producing a liquid food product at a desired temperature, it is important to take into account the atmosphere, the loss of thermal energy from the receiver walls, and other similar effects. Additionally, the environmental conditions in the environment in which the product is produced may also be a consideration in achieving the desired final temperature of the dispensed product. The embodiments of the dispensers described herein take these variables into account when determining the process and settings for product preparation.

The adjustable settings may include, but are not limited to, the duration, sequence, timing, amount, pulse of incoming dilution liquid, frequency of high pressure air or energy supply to the frozen contents in heat, agitation or other forms during dispensing, rest time between agitation cycles at various specific points in the dispensing, total dilution liquid volume, dilution liquid temperature, variation in dilution liquid temperature, rate of liquid injection (including pauses in injection), pressure of liquid injection, positioning of the receiver, (when perforation is complete) perforation location on the receiver, size of perforation, shape of perforation, number of perforations, and any subsequent cleaning function (such as flushing the injection chamber or maintenance notification). The variability, order, timing, repetition, duration, and combination of these functions can be accomplished in many different ways to produce a liquid product having the desired characteristics. In still other embodiments, the dispenser incorporates and regulates the use of air co-injected with the dilution liquid as a supplement to the dilution and/or melt liquid added to the receiver as a means of improving the mixing and liquefaction efficiency of the contents.

In some embodiments, these functions may be combined to produce a beverage in a minimum amount of time or using a minimum amount of energy. In some embodiments, the amount of time that the source of heat reaches a particular temperature may be included in determining the beverage production setting. For example, heated diluent may be a faster source to melt frozen contents, but may take longer to reach the desired temperature for freezing the contents than if electromagnetic radiation is used to add the energy. As one example, if the dispenser was last activated and the temperature of the cavity or water in the heater tank was low, the machine may be programmed to use more electromagnetic radiation to heat the frozen contents. Conversely, if the tank with diluent is already hot, the dispenser may use less electromagnetic radiation to produce the desired product more quickly.

Alternatively, a combination of these functions may be used to produce more uniform consistency in distribution. For example, the settings of the dispenser may be adjusted to produce a steady melting rate of frozen contents or only an outer portion of frozen contents in order to induce flow such that the effectiveness of the liquid product is consistent over a longer dispensing duration.

In some embodiments, the dispenser reads the temperature of the liquid being dispensed and adjusts the beverage production settings continuously throughout the dispensing process. In some embodiments, the non-diluting heat source and the diluent may work in concert in the beverage production cavity to heat, melt, and/or dilute the frozen contents.

In some embodiments, the dispenser has a refrigeration component that cools a diluent used to melt and dilute the frozen contents to produce a colder beverage. As long as the injected frozen diluent is warmer than the frozen contents, it will still act as a heat source for thawing the frozen contents.

In some embodiments, a pressure sensor is used to measure the back pressure of the incoming liquid to allow for varying the dispensing process of the diluted/melted liquid. For example, if a pressure above a threshold is detected, this may be the result of an insufficient flow path from the inlet to the outlet through the frozen contents. In this case, the dispensing pump injecting liquid into the receptacle may be temporarily stopped to allow some melting of the frozen contents to occur, thereby creating a larger/better flow path to the outlet before more liquid is added. This feature may prevent loss of liquid outside the receptacle or dispenser and make the total volume of product dispensed more accurate.

In some embodiments, the desired potency, volume, texture, temperature, or other beverage characteristic is selected or programmed by the consumer from a series of options. The dispenser may combine the temperature and composition information about the frozen contents with this desired output to carefully adjust the settings to produce the desired end product.

While there are many possible embodiments for obtaining temperature and composition information from a chilled liquid cartridge to adjust settings to produce a desired beverage, there should be consistent changes in the output of the dispenser function depending on certain increases and decreases in temperature, quality, and certain compounds present. In some embodiments, the dispenser will acknowledge and alert the user after insertion of the empty/used receptacle.

In one example, the dispenser adjusts settings for producing the same volume, potency, and temperature of beverage from a receptacle having the same frozen contents but different initial temperatures. A cooler receiver would require more transferred energy to melt and reheat the contents to the desired temperature. For a cooler recipient, the dispenser may adjust and achieve longer warms, hotter diluent, or more agitation to increase the energy required to raise the temperature of the finished beverage, thereby producing a final beverage that is nominally the same as the final beverage produced by the initially warmer cartridge (otherwise identical). Any of the beverage production settings described above may be strategically combined to transfer additional energy to the cooler receiver.

It should be appreciated that the quality of the frozen contents and BRIX within the receiver affects the energy required to melt and reheat the contents to a certain temperature. In another embodiment, the user may select different sizes and potencies of the final product at standard temperatures. This would require that less or more dilution liquid, heat and agitation be provided to the frozen contents depending on the volume/potency selection.

The composition of the frozen contents significantly affects the temperature of the finished beverage with a uniform liquid product production setting. At a given mass and temperature, each composition of frozen contents requires the transfer of a certain amount of energy to melt and reheat the contents. It should be understood that many additives affect the thermodynamic specifications of the composition. Detecting these differences in the frozen content receiver allows the dispenser to adjust its settings to provide the desired finished liquid product from the frozen content. For example, the dispenser may adjust its settings to produce the same volume and temperature of beverage from a recipient of the same quality, but with one cartridge having a higher sugar content than the other. The additional sugar in one receptacle lowers the freezing point of the contents and it affects the specific heat, enthalpy of fusion, thermal conductivity, etc., so that it requires a different amount of energy and/or melting environment to produce a beverage of the same volume and temperature as a receptacle with a lesser sugar content. Techniques for estimating the caloric properties of foods and beverages are known and may be used with embodiments of the present invention.

As described, the dispenser may obtain some indication of the thermal properties of the frozen contents in a variety of ways. This information may include a number of variables for improving the accuracy of the final beverage. Alternatively, the information may be a single variable representing a reference that is easy to melt and reheat. Some examples of thermodynamic properties and how they affect the beverage production settings are described below.

Thermal conductivity is the property of a material to conduct heat. The increased thermal conductivity will help to distribute the heat evenly throughout the frozen contents. Thermal conductivity is also very important at the interface between the frozen contents and any dilution liquid and can be enhanced by agitation applied to the frozen contents or other efforts to break the thin surface layer of stagnant fluid at the interface. Generally, an increase in the amount of food components (including protein, fat, carbohydrate, fiber, and/or ash) contained in the frozen contents will increase the thermal conductivity of the contents.

The enthalpy of fusion (also called latent heat of fusion) is the change in system enthalpy required to change state from a solid to a liquid at the same temperature. In the case of this dispensing system, the melting enthalpy is the energy required to melt a quantity of frozen contents with having been warmed to its melting temperature. Enthalpy of fusion plays an important role in the ability of the dispenser system to produce a cooled beverage from frozen contents without the use of an auxiliary mechanical cooling system, since a significant amount of heat can be removed from the diluting liquid. The greater the enthalpy of fusion of the frozen contents, the more energy will be required to melt the contents. Thus, for products with higher enthalpy of fusion, more energy will be required to melt and reheat the frozen contents to a certain temperature.

Heat capacity or heat capacity is a measurable physical quantity determined as the ratio of the amount of heat given or removed from an object to the resulting change in temperature of the object. Specific heat is a measure independent of the mass of an object and is described in metric units as the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one gram of material by one kelvin. Similar to the enthalpy of melting, the specific heat of a given composition plays an important role in the amount of heat required to first raise the temperature of the solid frozen composition to its melting point, and then further heat the contents if it is a liquid. It is noted that the specific heat may be different when the composition is in liquid versus solid form. For example, the specific heat of water in its solid form is about half the value of its liquid form. This means that it requires about half the energy to raise the chilled water by 1 degree celsius compared to the same mass of liquid water.

In calculating the beverage production settings of the dispenser, it is important that these variables are highly correlated. The entire reaction environment must be considered when making any adjustments to the new conditions. For example, if variables such as agitation and dilution liquid flow are not considered, simply considering the amount of thermal energy from the dilution liquid and/or the alternate heat source will not yield the desired final product equilibrium temperature. For example, flow, pressure and agitation supplied to the receiver may be used to improve heat transfer between the supplied heat and the frozen contents.

One embodiment of an algorithm for preparing a fully liquid food/beverage from frozen contents:

o input: scanning the box barcode or QR code to collect:

■ content quality (M)_fc)

■ volume of content in liquid (V)_fc)

■ melting Point (T) of the content_mp)

■ latent heat of fusion (H)_fc)

■ specific heat capacity of solid content (c)_sUsing the mean value)

■ specific heat capacity of contents when liquid (c)_lUsing the mean value)

■ acceptable temperature range of the final product

■ acceptable volume range of the final product

The input is as follows: dispenser thermal sensor to determine frozen content temperature (T)_fc)

O input: temperature (T) of the end product provided by the user limited by the scanning range (or these values are set by the coded information)_d) And the required volume (V)_d)

The input is as follows: dispenser thermal sensor determining ambient water temperature (T)_a) And hot water temperature (T)_h)

Determining: heat (Q) required to bring the entire frozen contents to melting point and then liquefy the entire contents₁)：

■Q_l＝[M_fc x c_s x(T_mp–T_fc)]+H_fc

■T_mpMay be an empirically determined temperature rather than a well-defined melting point for "blending" the food/beverage

Determining: the heat gain (Q) required to bring the liquid content at the melting point to the desired product temperature taking into account the heat loss during beverage production _d)：

■Q_d＝M_fc x c_l x(T_d-T_mp)

Determination of: the amount of excess heat (Q) available from the hot dilution water_ex)：

■Q_ex＝(V_d–V_fc) x (volumetric heat capacity) x (T)_h–T_d)

Determining: if the excess heat from the diluent is not sufficient, the amount of additional heat (Q) required_add)：

■ if Q_ex<Q_l+Q_d:Q_add＝Q_l+Q_d-Q_ex

■ for this additional heat supply, we need to apply a loss factor

■ for microwave heat sources, we need to apply an "absorption" factor based on the food/beverage contents

Determining: if the excess heat from the diluent is excessive, the hot water mixes with ambient water:

■ if Q_ex>＝Q_l+Q_d:

●V_h＝V_dil/((T_d-T_h)/(T_a-T_d)+1)

●V_a＝V_dil-V_h

■ wherein:

●V_his the volume of hot water

●V_dilIs the volume of the total dilution (V)_d–V_fc)

●V_aIs the volume of ambient or cooling water.

The duration and timing of the application of the supplemental (undiluted) heat are two of many parameters that affect the overall timing, efficiency and success of the dispensing operation (achieving a positive experience for the consumer as measured by beverage/food taste, temperature, efficacy, volume and required time/convenience). In some embodiments, all of these parameters are determined by control algorithms built into the firmware or software of the system controller. The input to the algorithm may include a user's preference for the temperature, volume and intensity or potency of the dispensed product of the consumable product as input to the human machine interface by the user at the beginning of the dispensing cycle. Also included as input may be data collected during scanning of a product barcode, QR code, RFID or other data transmission mechanism affixed to a particular product selected by the user for dispensing. The data may include information about thermodynamic properties of the frozen contents; a range of dispense volumes that the contents can provide within preferred limits of efficacy; and whether the contents have exceeded a recommended shelf life or have been exposed to temperatures deemed unsafe from a bacterial growth standpoint. And finally, the collected data may include physical characteristics and location information collected from sensors embedded in the dispenser. In some embodiments, the data will include the temperature and volume of the reservoir fluid; temperature, mass and volume characteristics of the dispenser; the temperature of the receiver and/or the frozen contents; knowledge of what was allocated during the previous cycle and when its allocation occurred; and the height at which the distributor is located, since atmospheric pressure affects the boiling temperature, and in most cases it is undesirable to generate steam within the system or receiver.

Since all of this information is available to the algorithm of the system controller, in some embodiments the controller will use the algorithm to calculate/select various control values for cycle timing, temperature, duration, liquid volume, liquid flow rate, when to pierce or vent the receiver, etc., to achieve the desired beverage quality objective given all known starting conditions. In some embodiments, the system controller also utilizes uninterrupted data input from the sensors to "learn" and adjust ongoing temperatures or durations or volumes during the cycle to correct small observed out-of-specification or adverse trend conditions. Thus, the timing of lid venting or puncture, the addition of supplemental heating, the addition of fluid, the timing and duration of agitation, and the final dispense will all be set and adjusted according to an algorithm. Over time (months or years), if an improved algorithm is developed, a new product is introduced, a dangerous or counterfeit product is discovered, or an unexpected security problem is known, the algorithm may be updated through WiFi or other digital means. In some embodiments, the algorithm adjusts the heating rate and maximum temperature of the frozen contents so as not to overheat certain heat sensitive ingredients (such as orange juice) to maintain the freshest taste as possible.

The dilution fluid injection flow rate may vary widely depending on the type and size of beverage/food product being dispensed. As previously discussed, for some embodiments, these values will be calculated and set by the system controller. However, as a general guideline, a range of possible flow rates may be estimated, considering the production of 2 ounces of espresso that dispenses more than 30 seconds on the low side, and considering the dispensing of espresso in a 32 ounce carafe for more than 90 seconds on the high side. These flow rates suggest a flow rate range of 0.02-0.25 gallons per minute as a specification for fluid pumps. It should be understood that both faster and slower flows, as well as larger and smaller portion sizes, are within the scope of the present invention.

In some embodiments, the rate and timing of fluid flow is adjusted based on whether the water is coming directly from the reservoir or must first pass through the heating chamber and whether some means is employed in making a cold beverage to maximize the cooling effect that may be produced by the frozen contents. For example, in some embodiments, ambient temperature or mild (mixed hot and ambient) water is first used to apply some heat to the exterior of the receiver by passing it through a water jacket in intimate contact with the receiver. As heat is transferred to the receiver, the temperature of the fluid passing through the water jacket decreases. If this cooling water can be captured and stored in an auxiliary container, such as a pressurizing device (similar in function to a commercial product such as an Extrol tank), the fluid can then flow to the interior of the receiver to further melt and dilute the frozen contents without the use of an additional pump or motor. If the intermediate storage tank is large enough, there is no concern about balancing the volume of heat transfer fluid with the volume of subsequent injection into the receiver. (excess fluid in the storage tank may be returned to the reservoir at the end of the dispensing cycle.) in this way, a large portion of the "cold" or "negative thermal energy" of the frozen contents may be captured to allow the cold beverage to be dispensed without mechanical refrigeration on board the dispenser.

The temperature of the water added to the receptacle is an important parameter in the dispensing cycle because it greatly affects the finished product temperature and is very important in the consumer's judgment as to whether the dispensed product meets its expectations. The water temperature is controlled by the system controller via mechanisms and sensors built into the dispenser. First, the ambient temperature water supplied by the dispenser to the receiver may be taken directly from the reservoir of the dispenser or directed through the heater tank. The temperature of the reservoir water itself will also vary according to: the season of the year, whether from the user's faucet, how long to be given to equilibrate to room temperature, and whether the user chooses to add ice when, for example, cold drinks are planned. The water directed through the heater tank may be heated to a fixed temperature for all operations as is common in most coffee brewers today, or may be controlled to some other variable temperature based on an output signal from the system controller. The delivered water may be warm, that is, a combination of water from the hot water tank and the cooler reservoir mixed together so that the final temperature is determined by a series of proportional flow valves and a downstream thermal sensor. Some final "fine tuning" of the temperature of the water delivered to the receiver may be performed as the water passes through the needle or tube (with the auxiliary heater surrounding it). And finally, the water exiting the receptacle may be further heated as it exits the receptacle and flows through some of the dispensing passages to reach the user's coffee cup or other dispenser.

It should be noted that since the device is a dispenser and not a brewer, the maximum water temperature required for proper operation may be much lower than in most currently known coffee makers. (water for brewers is typically supplied at temperatures between 190 and 205 ° F to achieve optimal levels of extracted solutes from, for example, coffee grounds.) accordingly, concerns over high temperature settings that may actually exceed local boiling points in some high altitude areas can be readily addressed. For example, a maximum temperature setting for water of 180 ° F and 185 ° F may be used to ensure that the boiling point is not exceeded in any region below the average sea level of about 12,000 feet. Thus, while the system controller may be programmed to use an estimated altitude based on GPS or WiFi derived location or input from barometric pressure sensors, such complexity is not required to achieve superior performance and safety of use in relation to boiling water issues. In some embodiments, the temperature of the water produced by the hot water tank is maintained at the hottest temperature possible for local conditions based on location input, and then the water is tempered as needed to optimize the thermodynamics required to dispense the beverage at the temperature desired by the user.

In another embodiment, principles of machine learning are used for calculation of dispenser characteristics. For example, the scanning of the cartridge and the temperatures of the various components may be used as initial inputs. Thereafter, the dispenser performs a series of short "experiments" to verify or refine the thermodynamic properties of the input. For example, the auxiliary heat source is activated for five seconds and the resulting effect on temperature is recorded. Given this energy input level and the initial input characteristics of the frozen contents, a particular temperature rise would be expected. If the measured temperature rise is sufficiently different, the values of specific heat, thermal conductivity, etc. can be adjusted to more closely match the observed reality. These new parameter values can be used to immediately recalculate the programmed dispenser "recipe" to more closely produce a beverage that matches the user's preferences.

In some embodiments, the characteristics of the user's glass, coffee cup, bowl, other container (hereinafter "dispenser") are also communicated to the dispenser via a bar code, QR code, RFID, or other means. This information is useful to the dispenser to (1) ensure that the receiving dispenser for the melted and dispensed beverage liquid or food is of sufficient volume to receive all of the dispensed material without spillage, and (2) to better understand the cooling effect that the dispensing appliance will have on the food or beverage being dispensed so that the dispensing temperature setting of the control system can be adjusted. In some embodiments, the temperature of the dispensed beverage measured in the dispenser after the dispensed fluid and dispenser reach thermal equilibrium is the temperature specified by the user as his/her preferred beverage/food temperature.

In some embodiments, the dispenser includes an active device to heat or cool the user's dispenser prior to or during the time the dispenser melts/dispenses the frozen contents. In some embodiments, the device is a surface plate that is heated or cooled by a thermoelectric device. In some embodiments, the dispenser communicates its actual temperature to the dispenser for more precise adjustment of the temperature of the dispensed fluid.

In some embodiments, the addition of supplemental heat is controlled to limit the speed or location of liquefaction and evaporation of the frozen contents. In some embodiments, the non-diluting heat source may heat the receiver to melt frozen contents therein, or the dispenser may heat the ambient temperature liquid as the ambient temperature liquid travels through the receiver and the beverage production cavity as a diluting liquid.

In some embodiments, an auxiliary non-diluting heat source may be applied to the receiver while agitating the receiver. In still other embodiments, the dilution liquid may be dispensed through the receptacle while being agitated and heated by a non-diluting heat source. The combined agitation while melting provides a means for more uniform heat distribution. Agitating the receiver will allow heat to be dispersed throughout the receiver rather than overheating certain areas.

In some embodiments, the dilution liquid does not travel through the receptacle, but is injected by-pass through the receptacle and dispensed at a location adjacent to the dispensing location of the melted frozen contents. Optionally, the cavity holding the receptacle has a mixing zone that receives the molten liquid product from the receptacle and mixes it with the dilution liquid. In some embodiments, the perforator injects pressurized air to flush the receptacle clean and increase the pressure at which the melted frozen contents are mixed with the diluent in the beverage receptacle. This may include an air compression system within the dispenser. The dispensing of the dilution liquid and the melted frozen contents may occur together, or one dispensing may occur before the other. In another embodiment, the dispensing of liquid may alternate multiple times. In some embodiments, an amount of the dilution liquid is dispensed through the receptacle and an amount is dispensed directly into the beverage container.

In some embodiments, the water is heated to only one temperature in the dispenser, but the dispenser includes a fluid path that bypasses the heating prior to injection into the receiver so that the water added to the receiver is at ambient temperature. Bypass water heaters can be accomplished in at least two ways: (a) a three-way valve after the piston pump can divert ambient water from the reservoir through the hot water heating tank to the dispense head or directly into the dispense head. See the L-shaped valve in fig. 36A and 36B, or (B) a simple tee at the base of the reservoir (tee) can feed two separate piston pumps, one of which feeds water through the boiler to the dispensing head, and the other of which feeds water directly to the dispensing head, as shown in fig. 35A and 35B. In some embodiments, the water line system may include a distribution channel or bypass system to refrigerate the diluent. Any of the techniques allows the dispenser to control the temperature of the dilution liquid supplied to the receiver.

In some embodiments, the dispenser has at least two reservoirs: one for ambient water and one for water that has been heated. The dispenser also has a fluid path for supplying hot water to the receptacle and/or the final food or beverage container independently of ambient water. In some embodiments, the dispenser includes a carbon dioxide source and an injection path to supply carbon dioxide to the ambient water reservoir to carbonate the water. In other embodiments, the dispenser has a separate vessel that receives water from the ambient water reservoir or another source of water, and the carbonation system carbonates the water in the separate vessel. In some embodiments, the water may be carbonated in-line along the flow path. Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention include the ability to carbonate liquid supplied directly to the final food or beverage container.

The dispenser includes a source of supplemental (non-dilute) heat, which may include electromagnetic energy (e.g., microwaves), hot air, an electric heater, or other source. The dispenser may also use agitation (e.g., reciprocating or circular motion or vibration) to facilitate and control melting, thawing, and/or heating of the frozen contents. The dispenser includes detection components (sensors), including, for example, temperature and pressure sensors, and an optical reader for obtaining information about the receiver and its contents. It is noted that the heat source, agitation and detection components described herein are purely exemplary and that these steps may be applied with any heating, moving or detecting means known in the art. In addition, the steps included in this embodiment are exemplary, and steps may be added and deleted to form a similar result.

In some embodiments, the dispensing system includes a network interface and is capable of connecting to a communication network, such as a Local Area Network (LAN) or Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), so that it can communicate with other devices, such as a smartphone or server system that records information about the use of the dispenser. In some embodiments, the dispenser may record data about the use of the dispenser (e.g., what product is being made with it) and update local data to the server when the network connection is reestablished. In some embodiments, the network connection may be used to diagnose problems and update software for new and future product parameters.

Illustrative examples of how embodiments of the dispensers described herein change their operating parameters and the overall process to produce different types of liquid food or beverages follow. Other food and beverage types are within the scope of the invention, as are other methods of operation for producing such products.

In a first example, based on the detection of the beverage pattern and the user-selected 2 ounce setting, the dispenser forms a bleed opening in the top cover of the receptacle to allow any internal pressure generated during the beverage making process to escape to the atmosphere. Next, an amount of supplemental (i.e., auxiliary) heat (provided as described above) is added to warm or melt (partially or completely) the frozen contents. In this case, a hot beverage is required, and the beverage production recipe requires a too small dilution volume of hot water to properly melt and heat the contents to the desired temperature. Thus, the duration of preheating is calculated to melt the entire frozen contents and the temperature of the resulting liquid is increased to about 85 ° F prior to dispensing or adding the diluent. The warming of the frozen/melted contents to 85 ° F may be accomplished in an open-loop manner based on information of the thermal properties of the contents, or in a closed-loop feedback drive system where one or more thermal sensors track the warming of the contents and turn off power to the auxiliary heater at the appropriate time. Thereafter a reciprocating motion may be applied or applied together with supplemental heat to homogenize the contents. The intensity of the supplemental heat and its overall duration are also controlled to minimize local vaporization of any frozen contents to steam.

Once a temperature of about 85 ° F is reached, the perforator, located below the cavity in which the receptacle is disposed, passes up through the bottom of the receptacle, perforating it, and allowing the liquid content to flow out of the channel of the perforator and into the beverage container through the nozzle of the dispenser. Because the perforator, which is larger in diameter than the previously created bleed, is inserted into the same position as the bleed in the lid of the receptacle (to ensure a tight fit around the periphery of the perforator), creating a substantially leak-free fit between the perforator and the lid of the receptacle, 1.25 ounces of water heated to 190 ° F may be dispensed into the receptacle to mix, dilute and dispense the molten frozen contents, resulting in an espresso beverage having a TDS of 7.5, a volume of 2 ounces, and a temperature of about 150 ° F. The hot water injection that occurs at the end of the dispensing cycle flushes all the extract of the receptacle clean to optimize the receptacle's adaptability for recovery. Agitation may be added in synchronism with the dispensing of the hot diluent to better flush any residue out of the receptacle and dispensing passage. The emptied receptacle can then be removed and recycled.

In a second example, a 1 oz receiver containing 0.5 oz of frozen concentrated tea extract with a TDS of 40 and 0.25 oz of frozen peach concentrate with a Brix of 50 is intended to produce a hot peach green tea beverage. The dispenser collects information from indicia or other indicators on the receptacle and, for that beverage, does not provide the option of selecting a volume (the option is controlled by the information associated with the receptacle). After the receiver detects, flashing a red button on the dispenser may communicate that the beverage is to be dispensed as hot. The dispenser establishes a recipe based on information detected by the dispenser relating to the receiver. In this example, the dispenser establishes a pre-heat duration, a perforation time, an injection time, a temperature of the dilution liquid, and a volume of the dilution liquid based on the acquired information. As in the example above, the receptacle is then loaded into the beverage production cavity of the dispenser and fixed in position, sitting on an intermediate step in the cavity that accommodates more than one receptacle size.

Once the receptacle is secured, the user may initiate a final action, such as pressing a button on the dispenser or the connecting device, to initiate an automatic function for product production. Upon detection of the beverage style setting, the dispenser forms a bleed opening in the overcap of the receptacle and initiates a supplemental pre-heat duration to soften and liquefy only an outer portion of the frozen content so that the perforator below the step can perforate the receptacle without requiring a significant force, if necessary, displacing the frozen content away from the entry point. After the outlet perforator perforates the receptacle, a perforator having a diameter greater than the bleed in the lid is inserted in the same position as the bleed in the lid of the receptacle. This produced a close fit for adding 7.25 ounces of water heated to about 190F (calculated by the processor from the initial recipe and then modified from the actual temperature measurement of the receptacle at the end of the warm-up) that would be dispensed into the receptacle to mix, melt, dilute and dispense the receptacle contents to produce an 8 ounce beverage having the desired concentration of green tea and peach flavors.

The pre-heat function and 7.25 ounces of about 190 ° F diluent bring the final dispensed product to a temperature of about 150 ° F. The hot water injection flushes all of the contents of the substrate from the receptacle clean and again, agitation may be added in synchronism with the dispensing of the hot diluent to better flush any residue out of the receptacle and dispensing channels. Agitation may also increase the melting rate of the frozen contents and provide a longer flush of pure water for environmental hygiene reasons. The emptied receptacle can then be removed and recycled.

The second higher capacity receptacle is designed to provide, for example, a cold single serving of a beverage, a single relatively large serving of a hot beverage that includes more difficult to concentrate components, such as a dairy product, and a large batch serving of the hot beverage. In one example, a 2.25 ounce receiver contains 47.2 BRIX of 2 ounces of frozen concentrate orange juice intended to make an 8 ounce cold juice portion. The dispenser collects information about the frozen contents in the receptacle (by, for example, reading optical markings on the receptacle with an optical sensor) and establishes the necessary processing settings to produce from the receptacle contents 8 ounces of chilled orange juice at 100% juice (BRIX 11.8) that meets FDA standards. In addition, after the receiver detects, a button on the front of the dispenser flashes blue to communicate that the beverage is cold and may alert the user to use the appropriate cup to receive the final dispensed product. (alternatively, the dispenser may have a sensor that checks for the presence of a minimum size glass or cup required to receive a full 8 ounce serving.)

In this example, the dispenser establishes a pre-heat duration, a perforation time, an injection time, a temperature of the dilution liquid, a volume of the dilution liquid, and a flow rate of the injected dilution liquid based on information obtained by the dispenser. The receptacle is then loaded into the beverage producing chamber of the dispenser and secured in place. The bottom depth of the cavity also has a perforator and in this embodiment it can pierce into the receptacle, retract and also move left and right with the tubing to which it is connected to form a dispensing channel that can move with agitation for enhanced liquefaction of the frozen contents. The perforator is initially below the bottom depth of the cavity and does not enter the receptacle. Once the receptacle is secured, the user may initiate a final action, such as pressing a button on the dispenser or the connecting device, to initiate an automatic function for product production.

Upon detection of the beverage pattern, the dispenser creates a drain opening in the lid of the receptacle and initiates supplemental pre-heating for a period of time to melt only the outermost portion of the frozen contents within the receptacle while keeping most of the contents frozen. In this case, the melting enthalpy of the frozen content is used to lower the temperature of the dilution liquid to the cooling temperature, since the desired beverage is cold. After the outer portion of the frozen orange juice contents are melted, either by an open loop determined by knowledge of the frozen contents and the amount of energy added, or via a closed loop determined by information collected by one or more thermal sensors, a perforator located below the bottom depth of the cavity is pushed up into the receptacle, perforating the receptacle and allowing the liquid contents to flow out of the channel of the perforator, through a nozzle in the dispenser, and into the beverage container. In addition, another perforator, having a diameter larger than the bleed hole in the lid, is inserted at the same location as the bleed hole in the lid of the receptacle, creating a tight fitting seal and allowing about 6 ounces of ambient water to be delivered into the receptacle at a slower rate than is typical for hot beverages, to allow the cooler injected liquid more time to interact with the frozen contents and promote complete melting of the contents. Agitation is added to speed up the mixing of the frozen contents and the dilution liquid to the target potency and temperature. In this way, the resulting dispensed product can reach refrigeration temperatures when equilibrium is reached between the frozen contents and the ambient temperature diluent. The final product was a glass of chilled orange juice with a Brix of 11.8, meeting FDA standards for 100% orange juice.

In another illustrative example, a 2.25 ounce serving of the receptacle contains 1 ounce of frozen condensed milk, 1/2 ounces of cold cream, 10 grams of sugar, and 1/2 ounces of 24 BRIX frozen coffee extract, all together intended to produce a serving of hot coffee latte. The dispenser reads the visual indicia on the receiver with an optical sensor and establishes the process settings to produce an 8 ounce hot latte with a coffee concentration of 1.5% TDS and to achieve the target dairy product and sweetness. In addition, flashing a red button on the front of the dispenser after the receiver detects may communicate that the beverage is to be dispensed hot.

In this example, the dispenser establishes the preheating duration, the perforation time, the injection time, the temperature of the dilution liquid, the volume of the dilution liquid, and the flow rate of the injected dilution liquid based on information obtained by the dispenser from the receiver markings. As in the above example, the receptacle is then loaded into the beverage production cavity of the dispenser and secured in place. Once the receptacle is secured, the user may initiate a final action, such as pressing a button on the dispenser or the connecting device, to initiate the function for product production. The dispenser creates a bleed opening in the lid of the receptacle and initiates supplemental heating for a period of time to melt most of the frozen contents. As before, this time period may be open loop or closed loop controlled. In this case, since the desired beverage is hot and the entire 2 ounces of frozen contents must be melted and heated, a longer pre-heating is required than for a similarly sized hot coffee beverage produced by the first lower capacity receptacle.

After the bulk of the frozen content pieces have melted, based on the thermal sensor readings and/or the total energy input, a perforator located below the bottom depth of the cavity is pushed up into the receptacle, perforating the receptacle and allowing liquid content to flow out of a channel of the perforator, through a nozzle of the dispenser, and into the beverage container. In addition, a perforator having a diameter greater than the bleed in the lid is inserted at the same location as the bleed of the receiver, thereby forming a tight-fitting seal around the perforator for delivering 6 oz of water heated to 190 ° F by the water heater into the receiver. The water completely melts any remaining frozen contents, mixes with the contents of the receptacle, dilutes and heats the contents of the receptacle to allow dispensing of a beverage of the target temperature and potency. The agitation and flow rate can be controlled to homogenize the molten contents and dispensed liquid as much as possible within the receptacle.

In still other illustrative examples, a 2.25 ounce recipient contains 2 ounces of 44.8 BRIX frozen coffee extract intended to produce a large batch quantity of coffee. The dispenser reads the visual indicia on the receiver with an optical sensor and establishes the process settings to produce a 64 ounce, 1.4 TDS hot coffee. The dispenser may detect the water level in the reservoir and instruct the user to add more water if necessary. After the receiver detects, a flashing red button on the front of the dispenser may be used to communicate that the beverage is hot and a prompt may inform the user to use a large beverage receiver to receive the dispensed product. Alternatively, the dispenser senses the presence of a carafe that has been designed to be readily detected by the dispenser (e.g., a proximity sensor, an RFID chip, a bar code or QR code, etc.) as being suitable for 64 ounce beverage servings. In this example, the dispenser establishes a pre-heat duration, a perforation time, an injection time, a temperature of the dilution liquid, a volume of the dilution liquid, and a flow rate of the injected dilution liquid based on information obtained by the dispenser.

As in the previous example, the receptacle is then loaded into the beverage producing chamber of the dispenser and secured in place. Once the receptacle is secured, the user may initiate a final action, such as pressing a button on the dispenser or the connecting device, to initiate the function for product production. The dispenser creates a bleed opening in the lid of the receiver and initiates a period of supplemental heating to melt a small outer layer of frozen contents. In this case, the beverage is diluted with a large volume of heated liquid and only minimal preheating is required to soften the frozen contents for receptacle piercing. Once pre-heating begins, the perforator below the bottom depth of the cavity is pushed up into the receptacle, perforating the receptacle and allowing the liquid content to flow out of the channel of the perforator, through the nozzle of the dispenser, and into the large beverage container. In addition, a perforator having a diameter larger than the bleed hole in the lid is inserted at the same location as the bleed hole of the receiver to form a tight-fitting seal for delivering 62 ounces of water heated to 190 ° F. The added water melts any remaining frozen portion of the contents, mixes, dilutes, heats, and dispenses the contents of the receptacle to produce a bulk quantity of coffee.

Any of the dispenser system embodiments herein may include a drip tray disposed below any or all of the components of the dispenser system. For example, the drip tray may be contained within the lowermost portion of the dispenser housing such that any uncontained liquid produced by any portion of the dispenser is captured by the drip tray. Further, because the final product is dispensed into a container (e.g., a thermos, mug, cup, tumbler, bowl, and/or the like), the product container may be placed on a portion of the drip tray having a grated opening to catch spillage or overflow. With the product container removed during product manufacture, a drip tray may be provided below the product outlet and/or the dilution liquid outlet to capture liquid. The drip tray is removable from the dispenser system and may be manually removable or motor driven. Optionally, the dispenser has a level sensor that detects the level of liquid in the drip tray and warns the user to empty the drip tray when a liquid threshold is reached. Furthermore, if the dispenser detects a high liquid level in the drip tray, the dispenser may stop the final product production process.

Optionally, many of the components of the various embodiments of the dispenser systems described herein are removable and dishwasher safe. That is, these components can be cleaned using standard commercial or household dishwashers without suffering adverse effects. For example, all or part of the chamber, the perforator for the dilution liquid supply inlet, the perforator for the product outlet, and all or part of the drip tray assembly may be cleaned in standard dishwashing water. Alternatively or additionally, certain embodiments include a self-cleaning mechanism. For example, the dispenser may pass hot liquids or vapors through various liquid flow paths, chambers, vessels, and reservoirs to clean and disinfect these elements. Furthermore, UV light sources may be included in easily contaminated areas of the dispenser as a means of cleaning these parts. For example, the chamber holding the receiver may contain a UV light source that exposes the chamber interior and/or the dilute liquid perforator/injector and the final product outlet/perforator to UV light.

In another aspect of the invention, any of the dispenser systems described herein may be implemented without a chamber to hold a receptacle containing frozen liquid contents. Rather, in an alternative embodiment, the dispenser system includes an external connector that mates with a complementary connector on the frozen content receiver. The complementary connectors allow the dispenser system to provide dilution liquid to the interior of the receiver while minimizing leakage. Optionally, the receiver inlet connection has an inlet seal that ruptures to allow dilution liquid to flow into the receiver. In some embodiments, the receptacle is a pouch that expands upon injection of the dilution liquid. In other embodiments, the pressure of the injected dilution liquid causes the outlet seal to rupture to provide an outlet for the final food or beverage product. Although the receiver is external to the dispenser, various techniques for the dispenser to learn information about the receiver and/or the frozen liquid content, as well as techniques for controlling the preparation of the final product, are equally applicable.

Various aspects of the techniques and systems related to producing food or beverages at desired temperatures and volumes and in an automated manner as disclosed herein may be implemented as a computer program product for use with a computer system or computerized electronic device. Such embodiments may comprise a series of computer instructions or logic fixed either on a tangible/non-transitory medium, such as a computer readable medium (e.g., a diskette, CD-ROM, flash memory or other memory or fixed disk) or transmittable to a computer system or device via a modem or other interface device, such as a communications adapter connected to a network over a medium.

The medium may be either a tangible medium (e.g., optical or analog communications lines) or a medium implemented with wireless techniques (e.g., Wi-Fi, cellular, microwave, infrared or other transmission techniques). The series of computer instructions embodies at least part of the functionality described herein with respect to the system. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that such computer instructions can be written in a number of programming languages for use with many computer architectures or operating systems.

Such instructions may be stored in any tangible memory device, such as semiconductor, magnetic, optical, or other memory devices, and may be transmitted using any communications technology, such as optical, infrared, microwave, or other transmission technologies.

It is contemplated that such a computer program product may be distributed as a removable medium with accompanying printed files or electronic documentation (e.g., shrink wrapped software), preloaded with a computer system (e.g., on system ROM or fixed disk), or distributed from a server or electronic bulletin board over the network (e.g., the internet or world wide web). Of course, some embodiments of the invention may be implemented as a combination of software (e.g., a computer program product) and hardware. Still other embodiments of the invention are implemented as entirely hardware, or entirely software (e.g., a computer program product).

As will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure, the present disclosure may be embodied in forms other than those specifically disclosed above. The particular embodiments described above are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific embodiments described herein.

Claims

1. A method of producing a molten food or beverage liquid product from a receptacle containing frozen liquid contents, comprising the steps of:

receiving a receptacle in a chamber of a dispenser, the receptacle defining an enclosed interior volume containing a frozen liquid content;

identifying at least one of a thermodynamic property and a mass of at least one of the receiver and the frozen liquid content, wherein the thermodynamic property is identified using at least one of an optical sensor, a thermal sensor, and an electromagnetic sensor, and wherein the mass is identified using at least one of a mass sensor, an optical sensor, and an electromagnetic sensor;

melting at least a portion of the frozen liquid content to generate a melted food or beverage liquid product by selectively performing at least one of:

Heating the receptacle when the receptacle is held in the chamber and the frozen liquid content within the receptacle when the receptacle is held in the chamber and without adding liquid to the interior of the receptacle when the receptacle is held in the chamber;

supplying a dilution liquid to the interior of the receptacle; and

applying motion to at least one of the receptacle and the frozen liquid content;

wherein selectively performing at least one of heating, supplying dilution liquid, and applying motion is based on the identified characteristic;

perforating the receiver; and

dispensing the melted food or beverage liquid product from the receptacle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identified characteristic is a thermodynamic characteristic.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a component characteristic, and wherein selectively performing at least one of heating, supplying a dilution liquid, and applying a motion is further based on the component characteristic.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying at least one of:

shelf life of the frozen liquid contents;

a date of manufacture of at least one of the receiver and the frozen liquid content:

A mass of at least one of the receiver and the frozen liquid content;

a size of at least one of the receptacle and the frozen liquid content;

the shape of the receptacle;

the color of the receiver;

an outer pattern on the receiver;

an external marker on the receiver;

a hardness value of the frozen liquid content;

a fill volume of the receptacle; and

a volume of a headspace of the receptacle, and wherein selectively performing at least one of heating, supplying dilution liquid, and applying motion is further based on the further identified at least one characteristic.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively heating at least one of a receptacle while the receptacle is held in the chamber and frozen contents within the receptacle while the receptacle is held in the chamber and not adding liquid to an interior of the receptacle further comprises controlling at least one of:

the amount of heat supplied;

a schedule of repeated heat applications; and

the time during which heat is supplied during the process of producing the molten food or beverage.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively heating at least one of the receptacle when the receptacle is held in the chamber and frozen contents within the receptacle when the receptacle is held in the chamber and not adding liquid to the interior of the receptacle comprises heating using at least one of:

A heater in contact with a wall of the chamber;

an electric heater;

a heated gas generator;

heating the liquid pool;

an electromagnetic radiation generator;

a thermoelectric heater;

a chemical heater; and

a heated perforator disposed in the receptacle.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively supplying dilution liquid to the interior of the receiver comprises selectively performing at least one of:

adjusting the temperature of dilution liquid supplied to the interior of the receiver;

carbonating the dilution liquid supplied to the interior of the receptacle,

pressurizing a dilution liquid supplied to the interior of the receiver;

controlling a total volume of dilution liquid supplied to an interior of the receptacle during a molten food or beverage production process;

controlling a flow of dilution liquid supplied to an interior of the receiver; and

during the molten food or beverage production process, dilution liquid is supplied to the interior of the receptacle at predetermined times.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein selectively adjusting the temperature of the dilution liquid comprises identifying the temperature of the dilution liquid and selectively at least one of heating the dilution liquid and cooling the dilution liquid.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein selectively adjusting the temperature of the dilution liquid comprises flowing the dilution liquid through a heated passage prior to supplying the dilution liquid to the interior of the receiver.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively applying motion to at least one of the receiver and the frozen liquid content comprises controlling at least one of:

a duration of the movement;

a rate of said movement;

the frequency of the motion; and

the type of motion.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively imparting motion to at least one of the receptacle and the frozen contents comprises imparting motion that is at least one of:

rotating;

reciprocating;

vibrating;

swinging; and

shaking the mixture.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein puncturing the receiver comprises selectively puncturing the receiver based on the identified characteristic.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein selectively puncturing the receiver based on the identified characteristics further comprises selecting at least one of:

A location on the receiver to receive the perforation;

the time to perforate the receptacle during the molten food or beverage production process;

the size of the perforations; and

a number of perforations made in the receiver.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein piercing the receptacle comprises piercing the receptacle with the perforator.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein puncturing the receiver comprises at least one of:

selecting a size of the perforation;

selectively perforating the receiver a plurality of times;

selecting a depth to which the perforator extends into the enclosed interior volume of the receptacle; and

selectively retracting the perforator.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein dispensing molten food or beverage liquid product by the receptacle includes dispensing the molten food or beverage product into a container, and further comprising selectively dispensing a bypass liquid into the container, and wherein bypass liquid does not pass through the receptacle.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the selective dispensing of the bypass liquid is based on the identified characteristic.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the selective dispensing of the by-pass liquid comprises selectively performing at least one of:

controlling the temperature of the by-pass liquid;

carbonating a bypass liquid;

pressurizing the bypass liquid;

controlling a total volume of bypass liquid supplied to the container during a molten food or beverage production process;

controlling the flow rate of the bypass liquid; and

during the molten food or beverage production process, a bypass liquid is dispensed into the container at a predetermined time.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving input from a user, wherein selectively performing at least one of heating, supplying dilution liquid, and applying motion is further based on the input from the user.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the user input is at least one of:

the desired temperature of the food or liquid product;

the desired volume of food or liquid product;

the desired food or liquid product potency; and

the desired texture of the food or liquid product.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein receiving input from a user comprises receiving input from a Human Machine Interface (HMI) on the dispenser.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein receiving input from a user comprises wirelessly receiving input from at least one of:

a computer system;

a smart phone; and

a remote control device.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively performing at least one of heating, supplying dilution liquid, and applying motion comprises indicating a selected action being performed.

24. The method of any one of claims 1 to 23, wherein the dilution liquid is selected from the group comprising a liquid, a gas, a vapor, or a combination thereof.